In 64 C.E., Nero supposedly played the fiddle while Rome burned. That's a neat story but the fiddle was not invented for another one thousand years. The political fiddling around while America burns is real.

The pitiful congress and administration are "hung up" on $165 million that AIG paid out in bonuses. The bonuses are outrageous in view of the fact that our tax dollars are being used to bail AIG out. But to put the bonuses into perspective, they represent 1/18,500 of the 2009 budget. The real irony of this circus is that congress and the administration knew about the bonuses before they gave AIG the money. In fact Senator Dodd added verbiage to allow the bonuses. Now those same individuals are displaying righteous indignation over the bonuses. Now like a child working up a tantrum, they are outraged.

Mr. Obama, if he is doing anything, is hiding his efforts. This recession is not caused by inflated executive compensation. And if he believes that it is, why not go after the bonuses that his cronies in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac received? If it really is, lets check into vacations, dinners out, and big screen TVs that the home owners we bail out purchased. Mr. Obama's main interest seems to be in taking advantage of the current crisis to propagate his grand scheme for expanding America's social programs, the rest is diversionary.

Mr. Obama delegates his desires to Mr. Geithner and Ms. Polosi. Mr. Geithner has produced nothing but confusion to date. Ms. Polosi has rammed a $787 billion stimulus package through congress which reflects a wish list of liberal social spending. And a $410 billion omnibus bill which is filled with pork barrel projects and pay back to cronies. Now congress has terminated a bill to please the Teamsters Union. This bill rids American highways of less than 100 Mexican trucks. There are about six and one half million trucks on the highway. Are less than 100 trucks really important? Apparently it is important to the Teamsters and Mexicans. The Mexicans have placed tariffs on 90 goods which affect $2.4 billion in U.S. trade. The Teamsters sent Polosi flowers. This congressional stupidity has undermined NAFTA at a time when America is highly dependent on trade.

Bloomberg Business News recently reported that China wanted "guarantees" that their loans to America were safe. MSNBC quotes Hal Turner on his radio talk show as contending that high placed Chinese officials have verified that Secretary Clinton delivered an agreement letter providing for "eminent domain" authority for the Chinese should America default. To make this as clear as possible; if this story is true, the federal government has just used the private property of every individual American as collateral for the money they borrowed. See BBN, 2/11/2009 and MSNBC, 2/26/2009.

This recession is worldwide in scope. The world looks to Washington for leadership on free trade. The world in turn gets pettiness, mindless populism, and a circus over bonuses that amount to less than the contract for a good major league pitcher. Certainly Americans are angry. If they would become informed, they would direct their anger at congress and the administration.

But as I have stated before, the majority of Americans are not very bright and can be led like cattle. They are currently being led into class animosity against those who have prospered. Those greedy rich. Even preachers are quoting scripture to support this portrayal.

Our congress can't or won't protect our borders, our currency, win our wars, balance the national checkbook, pay for their own healthcare insurance, their own retirement program, or abide by laws that apply to you and me. They give away millions to illegals. Wall St banks are rewarded for failure. The American taxpayer gets the K-Y jelly treatment. Where will it end?

Millions of Americas are drawing unemployment and worried about losing their homes. Mr. Obama is eating $100.00 a pound Kobe steaks and is hosting lavish cocktail parties each Wednesday for his cronies. All at taxpayer expense of course. The President of what nation was his role model? Perhaps we would be better off if we hired someone to teach him to play the fiddle.