Once again Barack Obama has jumped into a local matter without even a casual acquaintance with the facts.  Mr. Obama’s disturbing habit of quickly taking sides on controversial issues shows that the community organizer in chief is entirely unsuited to serve as President of the United States.  Much as he did by siding with Skip Gates against the Cambridge Police Department before learning the facts or when he launched a full federal attack on Arizona despite not having read the immigration enforcement bill, Mr. Obama has sided with the public sector unions in Wisconsin despite his unfamiliarity with either the proposed budget repair bill or the rules governing federal or state union employees.

Taking the high road, Governor Walker gave Mr. Obama the benefit of the doubt for his un-presidential statement on behalf of his union supporters.  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Governor Walker’s office issued the following statement on Monday.

“I’m sure the President knows that most federal employees do not have collective bargaining for wages and benefits while our plan allows it for base pay.  And I’m sure the President knows that the average federal worker pays twice as much for health insurance as what we are asking for in Wisconsin.  At least I would hope he knows these facts.”

 

“Furthermore, I’m sure the President knows that we have repeatedly praised the more than 300,000 government workers who come to work every day in Wisconsin.”

 

“I’m sure that President Obama simply misunderstands the issues in Wisconsin, and isn’t acting like the union bosses in saying one thing and doing another.”

Perhaps Mr. Obama can learn a lesson from Governor Walker in how to act in a manner as befits his high office.  We can hope that Mr. Obama will change, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

March 1, 2011

paboehmke@yahoo.com