COMMENTARY | As the clock ticks down, Obama and his loyal Democrats on Capitol Hill are ramping up the politically motivated fear theater. Obama already threatened to withhold Social Security checks so seniors are sufficiently scared. Nancy Pelosi goes for the global scare mongering tactic by saying: "We're trying to save life on this planet as we know it today." But Al Franken wanted to big. He wanted strike a blow to the most tender spot in the soul of Americans specifically. Al played the 9-11 card.
Al even prepared a few props for his "black humor" skit on the Senate floor.
"About a month ago, the Bipartisan Policy Center briefed members of the House Republican Caucus on the actual implications of the Aug. 2nd deadline -- what we could pay, what we couldn't pay," Franken said. Now, where Obama said there wouldn't be enough money to pay Social Security checks Franken said "we could pay our debt interest, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, vendors for defense projects, and unemployment insurance '" and that's all."
Wait -- didn't Obama say there wouldn't be enough money to send out Social Security checks two weeks ago? Didn't he get the Policy Center memo?
Playing his part in Obama's threat to "take it to the American people" if he had to, Al said if House Republicans refused to give Obama what he wants there would be "no pay for active duty military. No benefits for veterans. No federal loans for low-income students about to head off to college in the fall. No federal government employees, including counter-terrorism agents in the FBI, for example. No border agents. Now before we default, we would have the time to make this sign. And that's just the tip of the iceberg."
Since when does sending out extended unemployment payments take precedent over paying active duty military? Since when does giving a low-income student loan take priority over veteran benefits? Better yet, why does your paycheck come before border security?
Come to think of it, there are a lot of people in Washington getting paid big bucks that no one is talking about. Let's start at the top.
Obama is paid $400,000 a year to be amused when people think he should be more involved. That's almost twice what Joe Biden makes for doing -- whatever he does. Then there are the aides who help Obama do presidential things while he is on the golf course, on another vacation, attending another fundraiser or White House dinner or taking his teleprompter on another stroll down the old campaign trail.
So, how many aides does it take to help President Obama screw in a new, government mandated CFL light bulb? According to the Los Angeles Times, 454 and they will be being paid a total of $37,121,463 this year to do so. What's more, 141 of the 454 earn more than $100,000 a year. Twenty-one of the 141 earn the top-dollar allowed -- $172,200.
Obama's chief of staff, William Daley, is one of the top earners. So is Valerie Jarrett. Valerie's title almost has as many words as she has digits in her paycheck. She's the Senior Adviser and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement.
Coincidentally, Daley is the son of famed former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and brother of the latter Daley. Before Valerie received her lengthy new title she was chief of staff for the latter Daley where she hired an assistant named Michelle Robinson. Michelle went on to become Mrs. Barack Obama. Small world, isn't it?
Then there are Obama's czars, people like Homeland Security Czar: John Brennan, who makes $172,200 a year, and Nancy-Ann DeParle, Obama's health care czar and Urban Affairs Czar Adolfo Carrion Jr., who make $158,500 a year.
Then there is Obama's Pay Czar, Kenneth R. Feinberg. Kenneth who dictates the salaries of the company executives who accepted money from Obama's stash. Remember back in 2009 when the New York Times reported that Feinberg received no compensation telling other people how much money they can make? Treasury documents obtained by Judicial Watch show he made $120,830 worth of "no compensation."
Then there are the mystery people. Did you know there are 41 unidentified staff members in Obama's who owe the Internal Revenue Service $831,000 in back taxes?
That might cover a few of those low-income student loans Al was fretting about.
Al Franken isn't funny. Al Franken is an idiot.
"And that's just the tip of the iceberg."
359 comments