Thorns & Roses

April 13 2009 by ChiefExecutive.net


ROSE…

Illinois politics is the best cabaret. Just when one thought the Blagojevich scandal couldn’t get more absurd, Roland Burris, Blago’s pick to fill Obama’s Senate seat, apparently perjures himself. This leads Dick Durbin, the senior Senator from Illinois, to ask Burris to step down, which naturally he refuses. After the demise of the Julio-Claudian line of first century Roman emperors, the Praetorian Guard auctioned the office to the highest bidder. So much more straightforward than the present system. And it could be done on eBay!

THORN…

“CEOs won’t be able to use taxpayer money to pad their paychecks or buy fancy drapes or disappear on a private jet,” President Obama declared during his address to Congress. “Those days are over.” How long can one politician continue using the CEO straw man as an excuse for expanding the role of government into every aspect of the economy? (And, as long as we continue in finger-pointing mode, what about culpable politicians like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd?) If CEOs are at fault, name names and indict them. Otherwise, get over it.