You Know What Happens When You Assume?
The Obama administration has shown an interesting trait recently. I can only describe it as a persecution complex. The Obama administration assumes something will happen and takes unprecedented steps
First up is the administration’s attitude toward the Arizona immigration law. The administration assumed that the law would lead to racial profiling and immediately threatened to take Arizona to court. This despite the fact that the law specifically prohibits racial profiling. Since a lawsuit against Arizona is red meat to the great one’s base, a suit had to be filed. And before the effects of the law could be felt and observed. But in the end, the claim against AZ had nothing to do with racial profiling and everything to do with Washington’s right to select the laws it wishes to enforce - purely for political reasons.
Second up is the recess appointment of Dr. Donald M. Berwick to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This position has been vacant for some time and Congress was out for what, two weeks? Of course a recess appointment was not necessary, but with the recess appointment, Obama avoids the spectacle of a hearing for the American people to actually hear from Berwick. Obama didn’t give the Senate a chance to schedule hearings. He simply assumed the Republicans would try to block the nomination.
Close on the heels of Berwick we have the case of Shirley Sherrod. A video of 24-year-old comments made by Ms. Sherrod, without context, aired on a conservative website. Rather than research the comments and determine context, Obama assumed that this story would lead on Glenn Beck. Because of concerns of racism occasioned by the Justice Department’s dropping of a lawsuit against the New Black Panthers, Sherrod was summarily fired. In actuality, Sherrod was defended by Glenn Beck.
I think it was my high school chemistry teacher that I first heard ask the question: You know what happens when you assume? I wonder if the community organizer has ever heard that question? Because he is living proof of the wisdom.