There are times when the people at the top seem to be bottoming out when it comes to believing their own propaganda.
Today’s example: President Barack Obama hizzownself.
Using cyberspace as a launching point, the President emailed his faithful followers Tuesday and jumped all over Republicans for “catering to the interests of billionaires.” Claiming Republicans are the party of the wealthy, he reminded potential donors who the friendly opposition really represents.
“Once again, the interests of billionaires will come before the needs of the middle class,” President Obama, friend of the average working men and women of this country, wrote.
Then, he was off to a series of fundraisers, including one benefitting the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee held, ironically, at the Greenwich, Conn. home of a guy named Richman, as in Rich Richman, as in rich man, as in really rich, rich man.
Cost to be a part of the event, a paltry $32,400 per person. Organizers said the cost of admission was set so the average working stiff could easily afford to attend. The only problem: Greenwich is reportedly so exclusive that even some millionaires can’t get in.
His Excellency also attended a couple of other fundraisers in New York, sponsored by the Democratic National Committee. Cost to attend ranged from $1,000 to more than $30,000 per person. Just wondering: what’s on the menu at a $32,000 per person fundraiser? It has to be something so good that a person won’t notice his pocket is being picked again.
During the heat of a campaign, some things are as certain as Franklin’s death and taxes. It’s a certainty that Republicans will accuse Democrats of blindly following Obama at least 90 percent of the time, of refusing to address the immigration problem, and of casting the deciding vote on Obama(Don’t)Care.
Democrats will always accuse Republicans of wanting to kill Social Security, raise the retirement age to anywhere from 70 to 100 and passing legislation guaranteed to make their rich friends richer. It’s the “rich governing on behalf of the rich” thing, like the claims made by the president in his email, that your humble observer finds amusing.
I wonder if the President is aware that eight of the10 richest persons in Congress are Democrats. True, the two richest are Republicans (Rep. Darrell Issa of California at $432.25 million and Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, worth $117.54 of his wife’s money), but the next eight ride the Donkey.
Also, don’t forget the periphery moneyed folks outside of Congress, like George Soros, who willingly pour millions into campaigns of Democrats seeking public office.
YHO’s favorite member of Congress, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi of California, is ranked14th on the cash list with $29.01 million in various accounts. C’mon, Nancy, you aren’t awarding enough federal contracts to your husband. Try harder.
A side note of local interest: Minden’s own Dr. John Fleming, a Republican member of the House, comes in at number 42 on the wealthy list with a net worth of $9.06 million.
Anyway, the long and short of it is that rich is bipartisan in Washington, D.C. And we skeptics are prone to believe that the rich take care of their own, regardless of party. The President would be better served to change one of his party’s time-worn mantras lest the great unwashed be reminded that no politician ever went to the hallowed halls of Congress driving a Mercedes and retired driving a beat up ol’ Ford pickup.
Thought for the week: We have a record in this country of putting petty thieves in jail and putting the most prolific thieves in public office.
Pat Culverhouse is a journalist and political columnist and editorial page editor for the Minden Press-Herald. You may contact him at pat@press-herald.com.