Wife of Bernie Sunk School

Decisions made by Bernie Sanders's better half—his wife, Jane—have run a small Vermont private school, Burlington College, into the ground. Her seven-year tenure as president lasted from 2004 to 2011 ending with a golden parachute: a $200,000 severance package. In 2010, she directed the institution in its $10 million purchase of 33 acres along the bank of Lake Champlain from the Roman Catholic Diocese. Fast forward to 2014, 25 acres have been re-sold for $7 million or a $3 million dollar loss to real estate developer Eric Farrell. This real boon to him, a failed hail Mary effort to keep the school's doors open. Those doors will close for good on May 27^th, ironically just shy of Memorial Day, Monday. As past is prelude, the millennial teachable moment for the 2016 presidential election? Ruling progressive/socialists like Jane, Bernie—and Hillary—always personally live large. However, their Obama style big government policies always leave ruin in their wake.

What was her grandiose, utopian plan? An empty pledge to double the student enrollment. How is that unrealized promise any different than her socialist hubby's of “free” public college? Her pipe dream was to be a paradise: a beautiful new campus funded on borrowed money. What now remains? About 30 educators and staff out of work—and a lender making angry noises about potential fraud in the application filed by Mrs. Sanders. (“Jane, you got some splainin' to do!”) Likewise is Bernie's absurd advocacy of a 90% tax rate, and expanded government dependence programs that will add 18 trillion to the nation's already mammoth, and climbing, 19 trillion dollar debt. (Recall that 9 trillion of that has been added by Mr. Obama alone). Yet, make no mistake, Burlington College's fate is a litmus test of Sanders' style failed leadership. Like wife, like husband, trust that that apple doesn't fall far from its tree!

As proof, anyone at the now bankrupt Burlington College can attest, the economics of socialism are inherently unsustainable. Britain’s prime minister, Margaret Thatcher famously said the real problem with socialist governments is that “they always run out of other people’s money.” Well, precisely. Socialists redistribute (think Obamacare). They steal from (capitalist) “Peter” to bribe (voter) “Paul”—and governmentthey mismanage controls all! In a nutshell, that's the fascist Obama presidency. Specifically, consider coddled Michelle Obama's attitude of entitlement as her husband stoops to “lead” us. Therefore, it is no surprise to any clear thinking person that job creators have been driven out of America (read: widespread corporate inversion). These hard leftist locusts rule and consume resources until there is no money left to beg, borrow or steal. Then, these characters perpetually claim hollow victories (fairness! equality!) and move on. All that is required is Mr. Obama's political optics. His formula: a few disconnected, cursory remarks, maybe a fly-in photo-op (read: Flint's water crisis) then onto those all-important waiting golf links. The end result is almost 8 chaotic years of anti-Americanism from every direction. Indeed, our society has been mangled—twisted backwards, upside down and inside out. Hence Black Lives Matter. So much for the hope in that change.

Examples of progressive failures abound. Think of Maryland's “singing cowboy,” former governor Martin O'Malley's “millionaire's tax.” (His “flush tax” and “rain tax” are also real gems.) Of course there is the economic downturn perpetuated by continuous overspending with America's Chinese credit card, and tax-and-spend policies of the aforementioned Obama Administration. Yet, let's cast the net even wider. Think of Venezuela's toilet paper shortage, and two-day work week. Does Jane Sanders's failed leadership, “the crushing weight” of debt incurred during her presidency, portend her husband's?

Jane was Burlington College's fourth president, but rest assured Bernie won't be America's 45^th. That honor is likely reserved for his opposite counterpart, a blustering populist and plain-speaking pro-American capitalist who defies all political odds, and has galvanized the electorate. Someone who actually knows how keep the lights on, the doors open—and pay the bills.

Twitter: @DavidHunterblog

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Obama's Flint Water Lip Service

After years of the American people (and progressive cronies) drinking the Obama Kool-Aid, it seems only fitting that our modern-day Marie Antoinette president should have to drink from Flint's formerly leaded water supply. (Did the royal taster on Mr. Obama's staff make sure it was filtered before it graced his majesty's lips?) Apparently so, because Mr. Obama gulped it down like the pricey Cristal I imagine is always on tap at the White House when his buddy Jay-Z visits with Beyonce (still undoubtedly wearing her Super Bowl 50 “Black Panther” outfit.) In fact, since Mr. Obama seems to like Flint's water so much perhaps he will authorize his own personal Keystone pipeline to the executive residence in case Jay-Z wants a mixer instead of his own brand, golden-bottled Armand de Brignac champagne.

This careless and coddled snake oil salesman—who habitually (golfs, parties, vacations) with millionaires and billionaires at taxpayer expense—is now pushing water: his 21 century version to impoverished blacks as their slave forebearers were once promised 40 acres and a mule: “I’ve got your back,” Obama laughably claimed, “I will not rest and I’m going to make sure that the leaders at every level of government don’t rest until every drop of water that flows to your homes is safe to drink and safe to cook with and safe to bathe in.” Seriously? When has Mr. Obama ever taken on fellow Democrats for anything? The answer is never.

His better than seven year litany of hollow words are always designed to obscure the repeated fact of incompetence and scandal—of his party and/or his own administration. In this case, Democrats running virtually every level of the city and state of Michigan were responsible for this money-saving scheme. Likewise, the failed oversight by Mr. Obama's EPA, the bureaucratic negligence related to its cover-up. Naturally, the MSM (and Flint residents) singled out the one Republican, Gov. Rick Snyder, for blame. Contrast that to Johnny-come-lately Obama's rock star reception: his do-nothing face time was only met with universal, sycophantic praise. (Exactly when will America finally wake up to Mr. Obama's skin-deep “down with the struggle” rhetoric and empty symbolism? My prediction is also never.)

In actuality, Mr. Obama does little more than loaf around. He, self-described in Politico with “Hawaii laziness,” is finally going to step take charge after almost two full presidential terms? Seriously, what hubris to continue to believe that more of this metaphorical shoe shining will fool all of the people, all of the time. Let me be clear: Mr. Obama isn't interested in the plight of fellow human beings (read: “No Trayvon outcry for Tayshawn”) or environmental safety.

Recall, it's election time for Democrats. After almost eight years that has specifically ruined the prospects of black folks (along with the country), this is Mr. Obama's hat in hand effort to, once again, fleece votes. Indeed, Mr. Obama excels at the superficiality of political theater. He likes the pomp and circumstance of the presidency—the high on the hog living—the shallow surfaces of being an empty suit with a teleprompter. He's just not interested in tough calls, real leadership (think Syrian red lines) or advocating for American interests. Yet, same as fundraising, trolling for votes with a winsome smile and a little water gurgling photo-op for cameras (read: appear to be “doing something”) is right in his wheelhouse. After all, a brief stopover in Flint is a tiny effort to shore up the black vote for November's likely highly contested presidential election. That's what this is really about: a legacy-preserving third term (read: “Obama's 'Hillary' offensive”).

It is not hyperbole that JFK was America's last true Democrat as president. Progressives of today have co-opted the “brand” and actually oppose what Mr. Kennedy stood for. Why draw the line specifically after him? His successor, Lyndon Baines Johnson, reportedly said: “I’ll have those n*ggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years.” (Allegedly, this was confided to two like-minded governors on Air Force One regarding Mr. Johnson's underlying intentions for his “Great Society” programs.) In this regard, 2014 marked the 50^th anniversary of Johnson's War on Poverty in which 22 trillion has been spent without any appreciable improvement to the poverty rate: per the 2013 U.S. Census Bureau 14.5 percent of Americans are poor—the same as in 1967—three years after Johnson pushed through his socialistic programs.

How was this achieved? All fascists use tragedy to compel change both desirous to them and for them. In LBJ's case, he exploited the Kennedy assassination to ensure widespread government dependence (read: the “carrot”) and its inevitable political endgame: the future election of “Democrats.” Correspondingly, Mr. Obama's “corrosive attitude that exists in our politics” is entirely a product of his and Mrs. Clinton's Sal Alinsky style polarization and class warfare (read: the “stick”).  Either method is designed to gin up minority votes for progressives—even though their policies are detrimental to their duped supporters! Therefore, make no mistake: that's the only reason Flint “counts” to politicians of their ilk—as election day propaganda.

Twitter: @DavidHunterblog
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