Our Bat-Eared, Abysmal, Perfumed Potentate

Everyone knows how comedically droll Mark Steyn is.  He’s one of my favorite writers on the Intertoobs.

In his piece entitled, “Achieve Ye This Goal”, Steyn eviscerates the current occupant of the Oval Office.

It started off as a response to Peter Kirsanow’s two-paragraph post at National Review in which Kirsanow wrote:

“As if to dispel recent assertions that his ego has grown even larger since the November election, during yesterday’s Google fireside chat the president answered a question about his administration’s deportation of illegal immigrants as follows: ‘This is something I’ve struggled with throughout my presidency. I’m the president of the United States. I’m not the emperor of the United States.’” 

“Jay Carney denies that at the time the president made that statement someone was standing just behind his left shoulder, holding a crown and whispering, ‘All glory is fleeting…’”

Is it just me or was that a Grade A Prime Zinger?  Yes. It. Was.

Of course, when I heard that our bat-eared, abysmal, perfumed potentate had made that ridiculous statement I laughed my ass off and got to work creating a banner for this blog that was in keeping with the Black Narcissus’ impression of himself.

This guy just doesn’t grasp the roles and responsibilities of the office of the presidency.

During the War for Independence, George Washington was granted unlimited authority to prosecute the war against the British.  After the war ended, many advocated his becoming America’s first king.  He declined the notion believing it would be inappropriate and dishonorable.

One of his greatest legacies lies in his resisting the allure of political power in favor of a Republic.  Obama would jump at the chance.

Steyn writes:

“But the president’s sonorous, gaseous banalities did serve notice that the Republicans don’t want to get too far behind on his “goals.” He’s right that Washington “moves forward” like a pantomime horse lurching awkwardly across the stage and with the Republicans always playing the rear end. A “bipartisan” agreement means that the Democrats get what they want now and Republicans at some distant far-off date. Try it: New taxes and government programs now, alleged deficit reduction of $2.5 trillion a decade hence. Illegal-immigrant amnesty now, alleged rigorous border enforcement the day after tomorrow. Washington has settled into a comfortable pattern: instant gratification for spending binges that do nothing for any of the problems they purport to be solving assuaged by meaningless commitments to start the twelve-step program next year, or next decade, or next century. No other big spender among the advanced democracies lies to itself about the gulf between its appetites and its self-discipline.” 

“’Tonight, let’s declare,’ declared the president, ‘that in the wealthiest nation on earth…‘ Whoa, hold it right there. The ‘wealthiest nation on earth’ is actually the Brokest Nation in History. But don’t worry: ‘Nothing I’m proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime.’” 

“’Should’? Consciously or not, the president is telling us his State of the Union show is a crock, and he knows it. Under Magical Fairyland budgeting, Obama-sized government ‘shouldn’t’ increase our debt. Yet mysteriously it does. Every time. Because, in a political culture institutionally incapable of course correction, that’s just the way it is.”

The money quote from Steyn’s piece:

“So, in public, the modern ruler issues goals, orders dreams, commands unicorns. People seem to like this sort of thing.”