Ever wonder where former Obama appointees and Democratic bureaucrats go when they leave the public trough?
I don’t, but once in a while, my interest is piqued when their antics in the public arena make them, once again, national embarrassments.
Just such an occasion arose this week.
Early in the week, Harvard University, the factory which produces many of America’s most prominent Progressives, schooled in the most up-to-date methods for diminishing our nation’s global and moral status, announced what they surely thought was a great societal coup.
Harvard had succeeded in persuading one of America’s best known transgender ‘ladies’ to join the university as a “Visiting Fellow” in its prestigious Kennedy School of Government, thus bringing to its students the wisdom one acquires from changing its gender, to dangerously compromising national security, to conviction for treason, and in serving hard time as both a man and a woman.
That’s hard to beat for real life experience and to be able to impart to future national leaders a first hand ‘how-to-guidance’ has got to make Harvard the envy of anti-American social justice warriors worldwide!
But then, late this week, reality and a semblance of common sense overtook Harvard’s self-endowed superiority over mere mortals.
The backlash to this appointment from virtually all corners of the political spectrum, and the general ‘benighted’ population of America forced the institution to rescind its appointment of the esteemed Chelsea Manning.
But here’s the kicker in all this for me.
The president of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government is none other than Doug Elmendorf, former head of the Congressional Budget Office under President Obama’s rule. He is the guy whose helpful “suggestions” to President Obama contributed greatly to the successful foisting of that wonderful program, Obamacare, on America.
Return with us to yesteryear, and recall when the early revelation of Obamacare was “scored” unfavorably by the “non-partisan” CBO. What happened next tells you all you need to know about Doug’s triumphant return to academia following his noteworthy stint in public service.
President Obama, in his usual graceless, ham-fisted, but always widely applauded manner, “invited” CBO Director Elmendorf to a little “sit-down” in the Oval Office. At this meeting, Obama “asked” for suggestions from Doug on ways which would win approving scores from the CBO for his program.
Following that meeting, Obamacare implemented a number of “financing” methods by which, lo and behold!, Obamacare “paid for itself”…and, amazingly, the CBO applauded.
For example, by taking over the Student Loan program, the federal government could use the unconscionably “huge profits” that private sector lenders were making from the program to offset costs of Obamacare. (We know how that’s turned out.)
Introduction of the next iteration of Obamacare featured the innovative approach of collecting revenue from taxes and fees during the first 10 years (on which CBO bases its scoring), but provides benefits for only 6 years…very creative, thus making the 10 year projection for Obamacare much more fiscally favorable.(Pro-Obamacare Politifact disputed this in 2009 but to read their analysis today makes their assertions laughable).
Then there was the so-called “CLASS ACT” program, also included in the ‘revised’ version. It was to be fully self-funding and provide a daily cash benefit to the elderly. It was another “freebie” to help sell O’Care. And best of all, NO taxpayer funds would be used to pay benefits under this provision!!
It imploded almost immediately and was discontinued by Congress because it was indisputably actuarily unsustainable …but no matter, it was after Obamacare was a done deal. (Wonder how the CBO missed that one??!!)
Whether any or all of these creative financing ploys were Elmendorf’s suggestions or not, the CBO Director emerged from his tete-ta-tete with Obama as giddy as a teen age girl getting a kiss on the cheek from Justin Bieber. He happily proclaimed to the media how his kids would be blown away by his having a personal conversation with His Highness!
Ah, but there’s more.
Mike Morrell, former CIA acting director, was another newly named “fellow” at Harvard…that one to the “Belfer Center” and a separate institution within the Kennedy School. Even though an Obama appointee, Morrell resigned in protest to Manning’s appointment. Great pains, however, have been taken to emphasize that the Belfer Center had no part in the controversial appointment.
But, guess who is head of the Belfer Center, and then tell me if you think the Manning appointment was not wholeheartedly and happily viewed as a great move.
Ash Carter, that’s who runs Belfer! You remember Ash…he was Obama’s last great Secretary of Defense…the man who spearheaded the diversifyin’ of our armed forces…women in combat specialties, active recruitment of gays and transgenders, etc
Does anyone think ol’ Ash didn’t wet his pants with joy over the Manning appointment, a giant leap for trans-ism, even though it was Manning who betrayed his former Defense Department?
Boy!! That Kennedy School must be some “learning” institution! Wonder what department Michelle O. heads…international child nutrition?
And, I’ll bet the bidding is fierce between those paragons of learning, Harvard and Columbia, to land Jim Comey and John Koskinen of the IRS, and Loretta Lynch to instruct young geniuses on how to administer “progressive justice and fairness” in their respective fields.
Ash Carter? You gotta be kidding! DLH
