HEY HEY, HO HO, LET'S RAISE THAT TAX AND GO GO GO!

The President's address before Congress last evening was so over the top, so blatantly jingoistic, so uncharacteristic of our Marlboro voiced Commander in Chief, I felt I was watching either Mussolini addressing the Chamber of Fasci or Bluto Blutarsky's "When the German's bombed Pearl Harbor" speech.

But I will give him this, I think Mr. Obama has gotten a bum rap, he's no more a socialist than I am. To be precise, he is a fascist in the classic sense of the term. He believes in the "public/private partnership" which translates into control but not ownership of the means of production. He believes in the cradle to grave welfare state with correspondingly high taxes. He believes in grand schemes for projects that enhance the power of the State. He advocates freedom in form, but not in function; hence, his massive increase in regulatory control, market manipulations and intrusions.

Our esteemed leader has a tough row to hoe. Squeezing money out of this Congress, even with none too subtle threats, will not be easy. But he has changed the conversation, at least for a while. The onus is now on the House of Representatives. Boehner should give him his "public works" money, but just about nothing else. At least we'll get some roads repaired and bridges built (hello Autobahn).