Whole story of our labor
Unemployment has been higher for a longer period than anytime in decades. We are now in between the national conventions of the two major political parties, each of which claims to know the path back to prosperity. Millions of Americans, some desperate for work, some all but having given up on it, wonder if any of the politicians in Washington know what in the world they’re doing.
Welcome to Labor Day.
Democrats and Republicans have distinctly different approaches to work. “You didn’t build that,” President Obama says. People who succeed have others to thank, especially the government that provides the infrastructure. It’s individual effort that matters, Mitt Romney says, and the best thing government can do is get out of the way. Both are right in their own way, but each misses a part of the picture.
Monday
More or less government?
With the Republican National Convention just over and the Democratic National Convention just under way, we can plainly see the contours of the coming election, and it will be an epic battle over big ideas that will forever shape the future of this country. This one really matters.
And voters will have as clear a choice as they have ever had. President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney will have differences on myriad issues, and they will agree on some things. But in their overall visions, they present distinct paths. We can remain committed to an ever-growing federal government. Or we can rededicate ourselves to the original idea of a more limited government. It’s that simple.
Certainly Romney and running mate Paul Ryan might not get all the government and spending reductions they want if they’re elected.
Tuesday
PETA shows us the line
We owe a debt of gratitude to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
By predictably going outrageously overboard in its anti-meat-eating crusade, PETA shows us clearly where the rhetorical line that we should not cross lies. From having models go naked to protest fur to handing out “Your Mommy kills animals” fliers to children at performances of “The Nutcracker” in 20 cities and putting up anti-milk billboards ridiculing Rudolph Giuliani for his prostate cancer, the organization’s advertising has the knack of getting people talking more about PETA’s tactics than its cause.
Now PETA is taking on the Johnny Appleseed festival in Fort Wayne. It’s a tame campaign given the group’s usual stunts, but it still goes too far in one important way: It tries to take away our choice.
Wednesday
Is Mourdock backing off now?
If this account is true and accurate, it’s disappointing and maybe a little disturbing. Even hard-line conservative GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, the website Huffington Post gleefully reports, disagrees with Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock on his stubborn insistence to never compromise with Democrats unless they give in.
Furthermore, Mourdock seems to be backing off from that declaration in a fit of hypocrisy. “Over the past week,” the website reports, “Mourdock has been trying to cast himself as more of a team player who can work with anyone. His latest ad features Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman saying exactly that. But Mourdock said often in his primary campaign to oust incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar that his style of working across the aisle was part of the problem …”
Thursday
Ducking the main issue
The Interim Study Committee on Special Group Recognition License Plates had a real time-waster this week. It invited some of the more than 100 non-profit groups that use the plates to stop by and testify. What were they going to say? Please stop this program that gives us money and recognition with no real effort on our part?
And the Indiana Youth Group – the one non-profit that should have been there because it would have helped the committee zero in on the real issue – was nowhere in evidence. The only reason there is a “study” of the specialty-plates issue is that some legislators objected to the group’s mission of gay-teen support and wanted its plates pulled. That didn’t work, so a phony issue about the group violating license-plated guidelines was cooked up, and it was kicked out of the program that way.
Friday
