Obama's Speech, Schumer's Big Mouth and Cleaning Subways

Dear Mark: President Obama gave a speech this week trying to explain his reasons for attacking Libya. Much of what he said directly contradicts what he said about George Bush and the Iraq War. I still don't know what the president's actual position is on Moammar Gadhafi. Am I alone? — Okie Dokie Okie

Dear Okie: You're not alone. Based on statements from Obama's Cabinet, the joint chiefs of staff and NATO, no one can give a definitive answer as to what Obama truly wants to do with Gadhafi. The president wants Gadhafi out of Libya but then says that is not the purpose of this mission. Does Obama want the Libyan leader dead or alive, tried and fried or exiled? Maybe his teleprompter knows.

Dear Mark: New York Sen. Chuck Schumer revealed the Democrats' budget debate strategy when he inadvertently told reporters on a conference call that Democrats should refer to anything the Republicans do as "extreme." He also said that Republicans should always be linked to the tea party. Congressional Republicans and conservative pundits are crying about this political strategy as if they don't ever hold strategy meetings and use talking points. How is this any different than the Republicans' strategy to obstruct Obamacare? — Quit Crying in Canton

Dear Crying: Conservatives owe Schumer a big thank you. Because of his big mouth, the Democrats' plans are now more exposed than Pamela Anderson in a bikini.

There is a big difference between the debate over Obamacare and today's debate over the budget crisis. During the Obamacare negotiations, Democrats controlled the House, the Senate and the presidency. Republicans were almost completely shut out of the debate and amendment process, while the country was split as to whether we even needed this type of massive health care overhaul.

The 2,000-page piece of legislation barely garnered enough votes to be crammed down the country's throat, while Nancy Pelosi gleefully told us that we need to vote for the bill "in order to see what's in it."

Today, both sides agree that there is a severe budget problem and the Democrats cannot hide from the fact that we have a $14 trillion national debt with a projected $1.7 trillion deficit for 2011. The difference between Obamacare and the budget crisis is that the Democrats still hold the Senate, which means they can actually pass their own budget bill to counter what the Republicans put forth.

Instead, we learn that Democrats don't have a serious solution and simply want to call people names in hopes of shutting down the government to score political points for the 2012 elections. It is very evident who the adults are in Washington, D.C.

Dear Mark: I just read that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to use welfare recipients to help clean up the subways in New York. What a refreshing idea. It makes perfect sense, so why won't the government expand it to more areas? — Clean Queen in Abilene

Dear Queen: You've already answered your own question. The federal government won't do it because, as you said, "it makes perfect sense." I have always been in favor of putting able-bodied welfare recipients to work. Whether it's sweeping subways or working on one of Obama's "shovel-ready projects," let's at least get something for our tax dollars.

The dirty little secret is that public-sector unions are against this, as the welfare recipients might take away some of their overpaid government jobs.

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