Obama’s Crowded Bed

27 April 2009

–by Mike Murray

There’s an old saying – most often attributed to essayist Charles Dudley Warner – that goes, “Politics makes strange bedfellows.” It is an acknowledgment that people who usually hold disparate views about the appropriate functioning of government sometimes climb into bed together, figuratively speaking, in order to satisfy a common desire.

Take Senator Ted Kennedy. Kennedy just loved George W. Bush while Dubya was lobbying for his “No child left behind” bill. At most other times, however, Kennedy has expressed nothing but contempt for Bush. Consider the recent election cycle. Teddy shared the stage with niece Caroline on several occasions. The two Kennedys routinely extolled the virtues of Barack Obama, while disparaging those of George Bush (and indirectly, of course, of Hillary Clinton).

Caroline no doubt expected that her public swooning over Obama would pay off big. That has yet to happen. She didn’t get Clinton’s New York Senate seat. Neither did she get the ambassadorship to the Vatican. But she probably isn’t through pressing the matter. She put in considerable time between the metaphorical sheets, after all, and the meter was running. She expects to be paid.

The perception that Barack Obama single-handedly seduced the nation, that he built myriad grassroots organizations, that he started at ground level and ascended to the heights is bogus. What Obama did was get in bed with any liberal organization that would have him. He amorously let it be known that he was considerably to the left of all other suitors. Labor unions, members of the mainstream media, MoveOn, and virtually any group that benefits financially from George Soros’ largesse – all were passionately pursued by this Don Juan wannabe.

Perhaps that’s why Obama’s flaks tried so hard to portray him as a rock-star sex symbol. (You didn’t buy that crap about the YouTube Obama Girl being just a spontaneous, happy coincidence, did you?) It is now plain to see that Barack was, at every turn, desperately seeking political bedmates. Eventually, it got right crowded in the Obama boodwa. (Poor Michelle. She probably had to fight for every sliver of covers.)

All of which would be of modest concern, were the consequences of Obama’s indiscretions his alone. But they’re not. The entire nation will have to pay for Barack’s habit of political bird-dogging.

Much as it is true that “when you sleep with someone, you sleep with everyone that person has had unprotected sex with” (and all of the people they had unprotected sex with, and so on) – so, too, is it true that electing a politician who has indiscriminately gotten into bed with this group and that involves lasting consequences.

Barack Obama won the election. And his chickens have come home to roost. All of those leftist groups from which President Obama received favor while campaigning are now lined up, demanding payment for their time and effort. Each has a strict policy of “no freebies.”

That’s bad news for Obama. And even worse news for his country. Because in ways large and small, the many special interests to which Obama is beholden are now cracking the whip. They’re yelling “jump,” and they expect the president they elected to answer: “how high?” In this twisted sex drama, it is most certainly not Barack Obama starring in the role of Madame Dominatrix. Rather, he’s the poor, submissive sap – the one forced to grovel and comply.

Which explains Obama’s recent reversal over investigating the previous administration regarding interrogation techniques. The new president initially signaled distaste for such a partisan witch hunt. (After all, the day will come when he’s the former prez. Wouldn’t want to set a nasty precedent. Wouldn’t want to end up on the hot seat himself, one day.)

But Obama’s political overseers were having none of it. “Wrong answer,” they scolded. And Obama caved. He “massaged” his initial position (leftists love to speak of nuance, of subtlety – it’s all so sophisticated – when explaining away flip-flops). Now, President Obama is “open” to the idea of persecuting (sorry, of prosecuting) members of the Bush Administration.

Obama says that he has decided to defer to – get this – a subordinate: Attorney General Eric Holder. Sounds an awful lot like Pontius Pilate, washing his hands. But it’s not really Holder to whom Obama has deferred. It is, instead, to his political creditors.

Obama chose to “play the field” in order to get elected. Doing so has resulted in a very crowded presidential bed. And all of America will pay a dear price for that sad state of affairs.

Berea Pundit