Does FT already have the 2009 journalistic poor tast award in the bag?

Sunday, January 18, 2009 2:38 PM

From: "Arnold Nelson" To: "Financial Times"
Chicago Sunday PM January 18, 009
Editors, UK Financial Times :

Gentlepeople: Everyone has biases, no less newspapers, even the leading international newspaper. But is it to much to ask that the Financial Times try to show a little more control than you did with your way-to-crude Saturday, January 17, editorial cartoon depicting a startled-looking US President George W. Bush being kicked out of a way-to-large shoe by an even larger black foot. Have you ever actually examined George Bush's pre-presidential resume? Before being elected President he was elected, and reelected (by 2 to 1 vote margin) governor of the nation's second largest state (with a 1,000 mile international border.) Before that he was managing partner of a sports franchise for five years where franchises regularly have $75 million annual payrolls, and approach $1 billion sales prices; and before that was a combat-ready trained Air Force National Guard jet pilot.

Now compare the big black foot: he has never met a private sector payroll in his life (a Columbia U graduate without an 'emphasis' on economics.) His international experience is limited to four crucial pre-teen years slogging thru the mud of Indonesia (but yes, 'emphasis' on international relations at Columbia.) His government experience is 8 years as an Illinois state senator, a job requiring no more skills than a Chicago Bears third string jock strap attendant (but without the responsibility.) He was a non-tenure-tracked instructor of Constitutional Law at a major University, but rarely mentions the document, and even then rarely without pointing out supposed defects, ignoring its genius.

And oh! Did I mention he has no military experience?

Certainly many say Bush didn't do anything right, but he got those tax cuts through getting us out of a left-over Clinton recession and over the worst domestic attack in the nation's history. And he made the first honest effort at averting the inevitable Social Security civilization-destroying Ponzi Scheme, but a spineless Congress would not let him do it.

His administration went to Congress annually asking them to do something with the obvious Fannie/Freddie disaster, but again they would have none of reality.

The same many will say he took us into Iraq, but I'm sure FT has read the House-Senate Joint resolution of October 10, 2002 and its list of 22 statements supporting invading Iraq, passed by 2/3 majorities in both Congressional houses.

For sure no one know what a President Obama's legacy will be, but from all he has said, and even more important what his appointees and top supporters have said, here is a prediction: Soon after noon on Tuesday the new president will make the first buck-stops-here decision of his entire life. Then he will start his professed attempt to 'jump start' the economy with out-of-control deficit spending that will only make things worse. This will inevitably force the inspirational new leader to publicly announce: "Our country is too big to fail, so to prevent its failure, I have just signed an executive order making all US residents, legal and illegal alike, direct employees of the federal government. May the force be with us!"

And everyone will go along quietly, happily, because it feels good.

Arnold H Nelson Chicago IL 60640