Washington’s elite: frequently in error, never in doubt …

Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says you can tell who's a member of Washingtons Power Elite by what they don't say.

Washington’s political-media-lobbyist elites do lots of talking, spinning and opining. But you knew that. Or did you? Or maybe you have been in, or observing, government for too long. Maybe you are just saying that you really get it because you are one of them. Or live or work in a 30 miles radius of the Capitol, The White House or the National Press Club.

So to clear things up, here’s a simple quiz to see how much you REALLY know about those people in power, seeking to be in power and the opinion-makers behind them. Which of the following phrases are you least likely to here from someone in the current, past or future ruling class:

1) I voted for it before I voted against it!

2) I think we spend, and waste, way too much money on education.

3) We need to bring back the draft.

4) Profiling is the best way to spot a potential terrorist.

5) I don’t know.

6) I once French-kissed a horse.

7) Of course I’ve fudged with my taxes. Who hasn’t right?

The answer, of course, is number 5. When is the last time you heard a member of the power elite admit he/she didn’t know something? Hadn’t a clue. Never heard of it and had no opinion. The answer is probably never. Some of them tell the truth a lot. Either by accident or design. But when it comes to those three little words, I don’t know! They seldom are heard!

Figure, most of the “experts” were wrong about Donald Trump getting the Republican presidential nomination. And most were surprised that Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent-not-a-Democrat from Vermont, gave lots of new gray hairs to folks who thought their candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was a shoe-in to head the Democratic ticket.

Now that the dust has pretty much settled, many experts have turned their crystal-ball lasers on what’s going to happen to the nation, our military, our economy, our government, and your job if you-know-who-wins. You-know-who, of course, is the candidate you feel is incompetent, a blow-hard, a liar and flip-flopper who is the least qualified person around to pilot our ship of state. Who you pick as the demon says as much about you as it does about your designated demon. In Friday’s column “Is There Life After The Election” we tackled the subject that next demands our collective, though usually divisive, wisdom about the future. We asked readers to sound off. Were they worried about their jobs, the nation? Are they prepared to shuffle off to Canada if you-know-who wins. We got lots of great feedback. For example:

  • ”I am not ‘losing my mind’ no matter who wins in November (and BTW, it’s a long way to November): If the POTUS gets us too far out of line, the House members will cover their a$$eS, by impeaching him or her (or at least trying to) since they are more worried about getting re-elected every two, four or six years.” NonSense Anon
  • ” It has been said that conservatives (Republicans) think everyone is lazy while liberals (Democrats) think everybody is stupid. That’s kind of sad, but it pretty much sums it up.” Long-Suffering-Fed
  • “I’ve worked under seven presidents (missed working under Nixon by a couple of days) and have come to realize that The Who said it best: “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, we won’t get fooled again.” Ed Fox
  • *”The fact of the matter is regardless of who wins in the next election cycle, most of the civilian federal workforce will remain. However, the point of critical mass has been or will be reached in the very near future. We cannot perform the duties expected of us with the funding and staffing levels being provided by those elected officials. A cynical person might point out that the moves being planned to reduce civil service protections might lead to a mass migration of staff to retirement or the private sector. That would then lead to more inherently governmental functions being contracted out, which is already occurring at the state and local levels. That should be the real concern.” Shawn of the IRS

Nearly Useless Factoid

By David Thornton

The Who started out as a cover band, performing American R&B songs.

Source: Songfacts.com

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