Wonderboy's New Deficit Commission

For eight years or so, we heard complaints about George W. Bush's 'Imperial Presidency.'

Don't look now, but guess who's the new Emperor? Yes, Wonderboy.

In his recent surprise appearance at a White House press briefing, the First Rookie solemnly intoned that, since Congress had rejected the idea of a Deficit Commission, he, by executive order, would create one.

Wow. Talk about the will of the people!

Wonderboy went on to lecture all of us dumber-than-him voters that the deficit is an important problem, so he won't let Congress duck the issue.

Sorry to say, as usual, the slick pol from Chicago is too clever by a half.

It's not the deficit, but, as Ronald Reagan intuitively understood, it's the federal and local government spending levels and growth.

Hopefully, Republicans and conservatives will jointly stonewall this presidential commission, robbing it of any shred of credibility. That means Warren Rudman and his ilk, retired GOP Senators and Representatives, have to swallow hard and resist the temptation for some more national face time, in the interests of showing the commission up for what it is.

Here's a total spendthrift president who has already doubled the planned deficit, spending more than any president since Washington, now concerned about the deficit he has so hugely, personally increased.

The good news about his executive order, however, is that such a commission hasn't any power. As a creation of the executive branch, it can only produce a report. Whereas, say, a Senate commission could have moved swiftly to vote its findings and recommendations into law.

Thank God for small favors.