John Hinderacker at Power Line draws an interesting contrast to what is already an eye-brow raising observation by the politically tin-eared Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). From the report in The Hill, Senate Majority Leader Reid was responding to his Republican counterpart, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), after McConnell drew attention to the fact that the Democrats were pushing a bill to raise the salaries of teachers and first responders, but at the cost of higher taxes which Republicans have pledged to oppose in any form. Reid’s mindset about unemployment is interesting:
It’s very clear that private-sector jobs have been doing just fine; it’s the public-sector jobs where we’ve lost huge numbers, and that’s what this legislation is all about.
“Just fine”? Official unemployment has remained at 9.1% for months, with real unemployment (with perennial and under-employed) estimated at 20%. The public sector, composed of public employee union members (the Democrats’ favourite special interest group), and despite adjustments that have finally caught up with them in the last 15 months or so, has seen steadily increasing budgets throughout this recession crisis, as Mr Hinderacker also reports. (Click to enlarge)
Senator McConnell correctly nails the attempt for the political theatre that it is, a chance for Democrats to demagogue the Republicans for being against teachers, police, fire fighters (and puppies, if they could get away with it), while pandering to one of their key constituencies – unions. And to help illustrate the point, John adds:
And who is going to pay for all of those government jobs? The private sector, to liberals like Reid, is nothing but a fatted calf, or – to switch animals – a golden goose that will never stop laying eggs. They really believe that the people exist to serve the government, rather than the other way around.
Meanwhile, what is the richest city in the United States? Washington, DC, with the average federal employee making more than $126,000 annually.
I'd still like to see Mitch walk across the Senate chamber and slug the whimpering Reid right in the kisser.
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