Confronting Medicare’s Mathematical Truths

I suppose the thing that would make me most happy would be for this to be a dinner table conversation at every home in the country…of course, maybe I’d settle for cocktail party discussion, since families rarely sit down to dinner together any more…

If you were in charge of a business that was struggling, you might look for ways to both improve revenues and cut costs.  If you were in charge of Medicare, one of the first areas you would look at is end of life care costs.  It is estimated some 2/3 of costs are accrued by those being treated in their final six months of life.

In other words, abdominal/pelvic CT scans looking for diverticulitis, treatment for osteopenia and osteoporosis, high blood pressure medications, total joint replacements and the like are of little consequence in the big picture of annual Medicare costs.  The huge majority of costs are incurred by those who are terminal, which is defined as those being in their final six months of life.

Of course, the moment you start to investigate how to curb those costs, Sarah Palin and others will jump right out of their skin shouting:  Rationing!!  They would be correct.  There is, however, NO way to have a solvent Medicare system without deciding some of the things which are done to/for terminal patients must no longer be done.  Let me repeat that.  In our system, with 2/3 of the costs acquired by treating terminal patients, there is NO way to control Medicare costs, which must be done, without deciding which things will and will not be done, i.e., rationing.

It is for this reason the Patient Safety and Affordable Care Act encourages physicians to have discussions about the end of life with their patients.  This may be the sole plank of ObamaCare which actually makes any sense.  In addition to giving patients a voice in what happens, it allows a path for physicians to have a discussion with patients and their families which is never eagerly anticipated by any of the parties.

But, it continues to be true that the easiest thing to do is to do “everything” for every patient, regardless of circumstances.  It allows physicians to say to families:  we did all we could.  This is generally a comforting thing for families to hear and when families feel comforted, there are fewer subsequent lawsuits.  This is a fact which the Obama administration fails to choose to recognize, though there can be no doubt of its validity.  But, I digress.

It should be pointed out right here that it is not always known when someone is in their final six months of life, i.e., is terminal.  Other times, when we might legitimately think someone is in that category, aggressive (or even non-aggressive) treatment produces survivorship significantly longer than one might have predicted.  I have seen that many times and currently am attending several folks who would fall into that category.

Another thing I have observed in 30 some years of being party to these discussions, if families were to have to absorb some of those costs, which used to happen in Medicare’s earlier days, dear old dad, for whom they avow they would do anything, is going to be allowed to die with far fewer interventions on his “behalf.”  The current system of Medicare has removed cost as a consideration for individual families, though cost considerations are certainly not a moot point for those paying the bills, i.e., taxpayers.

So, this is not going to be an easy fix for Medicare’s problems.  But, The New England Journal of Medicine, in whose weekly Perspective column Obama administration ideas are often given a test flight, has begun to write more about so – called “futile medicine,” the application of efforts to extend not someone’s meaningful life, but, in fact, extend their period of demise.  It is not known what savings ending “futile medicine” might bring for Medicare.  It is not known how many would have their lives ended a few months (? or more) sooner than they might have.

But, we know one thing.  End of life care is the biggest chunk of what is a simply unsustainable program and a national dialogue upon how we best deal with this fact is desirable.  But, that can’t and won’t happen if someone’s reflex action to such an invitation to discussion is to stand up and scream “RATIONING!”

Sooner or later the cold mathematics of the situation will require we confront this conundrum.  It would (? will) take great leadership and a near total absence of demagoguing for a meaningful conversation about this dilema to take place.

We are probably wise to begin ASAP…

Bad Ideas 101: Increasing FDA’s Workload

There is some required reading on today’s Wall Street Journal op-ed page.  An article by two American Enterprise Institute Fellows, Dr. Scott Gottleib (a former FDA deputy commissioner) and J. D. Kleinke (who has helped launch a bunch of health information companies) talks about the FDA’s attempt to establish regulations for software used by physicians and patients in the increasingly wireless world.  It is hard to imagine a worse idea or a government agency powerplay more of a poster child for the complaints conservatives have about over – regulation.

It would probably be impossible to choose an agency more ill-suited to the task of regulating medical information software than the FDA.  In addition to likely having few IT experts currently among their employ, the FDA is chronically underfunded, a fact it often cites when there are any problems with their primary function:  monitoring pharmaceuticals in our country.

The FDA’s charge is a very important one.  There is really no other country in the world with the rigorous approval program, post-approval drug surveillance and ongoing monitoring our FDA has.  We really function as the FDA for the world, in all truth.  We must have a referee for drug – company sponsored trials; we must have someone to say whether or not new treatments are both safe and effective and we need someone to warehouse post-approval drug side-effect reports.

Sadly, over the years, while insufficiently funded to do its present known functions, the FDA keeps reaching out for more work to do, the classic expansion of regulatory function in Washington.  While some of this may be good in some eyes (regulating commercial claims by drug companies), some has clearly been contrary to medicine’s best interest.  Pharmaceutical companies’ presentations to doctors are highly regulated these days.

One of the casualties of this was a twice a year meeting I used to attend,along with 300 or so others from across the country, sponsored by Merck.  At this meeting, Merck would bring in clinical leaders, primary investigators and folks from the laboratories to present a day and a half of lectures.  More highly recognized doctors that I would comment it was the best meeting, from a scientific standpoint, they went to all year.  I used to love these gatherings and felt like I was the smartest guy in town when I returned.

Well, the FDA says pharmaceutical companies cannot present lectures to groups of subscribers (i.e., clinicians) about anything other than FDA-approved data which is in the drug’s package insert.  So, no more guys lecturing from the research labs, no more open exchange in Q & A…no more meetings.  The FDA has this panic level concern about drug companies influencing doctors.  The drug company representatives may no longer even bring us a ball point pen, so easily persuaded are we, apparently, to use their product without merit.

Few federal agencies are in more dire need of substantial reform than the Food and Drug Administration.  The absolute last thing we should do is allow them increased regulatory function, and in a field in which they would need to import talent!?!  Doctors and patients do NOT need their interactions regulated by the federal government to any greater degree than is currently the case.

Thankfully, Gottleib and Kreinke point out “Sens. Michael Bennet (R.,CO) and Orrin Hatch (R.,UT) have introduced an amendment to puts a moratorium on the FDA’s power grab while Congress studies how to build a modern regulatory framework suited to these new software tools.”  I would ask why this field needs to be regulated at all.  It will be regulated by the marketplace, as non-utilitarian, ineffective or unweildy apps won’t survive.

Read this article.  That way, at the very least, when an Obama sycophant asks you to cite chapter and verse about government over – regulation hurting business in this country you will, indeed, have both chapter and verse ready to go.

Utilizing A Crisis?

While it would be to the great displeasure of the left and their man President Obama, this election may yet be about the size of the federal government.  If so, we may owe no small thanks for this to Angela Merkel of Germany.

Europeans and their lamestream media sycophants (who have upon past occasions referred to Europe as “our betters”) are upset with Ms. Merkel,who refuses to loan Greece and Spain more money without stringent conditions placed upon how they spend it.  The bond folk have already said they will no longer fund the status quo in those countries with anything but unaffordable interest rates and Germany was the sole hope of those who wished Greeks, Spaniards and other lower order European economies to continue to live in Fantasyland.  It turns out the Germans won’t fund guaranteed retirement pensions at age 55 in Greece, either.

Austerity has failed, rails the American lamestream media, but, in fact, it is politically untenable in Greece, Spain, Portugal and elsewhere, so it has been little implemented.  Growth policies are humorous in countries that have chased away private enterprise over the years with choking tax rates.  They have little, if any, private industry to grow.  Further government growth simply worsens the picture more quickly.

Many of us who wondered how a common monetary policy could survive in countries with sovereign political systems have been proved correct.  They can’t and the euro’s time is limited as an exchange medium.  Brits and others with euros in Greece must wonder how they will extract that money from Athens when it appears as if Greek voters, delusional to the end, vote for maintainance of their current government benefits and show an aversion to paying taxes.

If, in fact, Greece hits the wall, the rest of the world will feel it, we just don’t know how much yet.  In America, it could well spawn, among other things, a real dialogue between President Obama and Mitt Romney about deficit reduction and long – term debt control.  This discussion can only realistically occur if plans to trim Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are included.  This discussion must surely involve tax reform, a single action (however unlikely, for the reasons cited here yesterday and many days previously) which could be a tonic for both hiring and the stock market.  This tax reform will no doubt include higher total tax payments for those making significant salaries in the U. S.

A grand bargain.  A much more realistic approach to our long term debt problems.  Significant tax reform.  All of these good things may well emerge from the ashes of the European Zone and their single currency, the euro.

Now, are there enough adults in the U. S. to seize the benefits the impending (and no longer avoidable) European disaster will provide.  As former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said:  a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.  This will be a crisis and hopefully the U. S. will use it to assure we’re not next.

We will need a leader, many of them, probably.  Are there any running for President?

Senator Lugar Should Lose The Bitterness

It was sad to see Senator Richard Lugar, R.,IN, on the CBS’ Face The Nation yesterday so clearly having trouble dealing with his loss in the Indiana Republican primary to Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock.  Of course, he fed into the narrative at CBS, and elsewhere in the lamestream media, that America could be saved if only Republicans would agree to be bipartisan, reach across the aisle and raise taxes.

Sen. Lugar allowed as how he has no plans to campaign for Mr. Mourdock, though he hopes he wins, so he can be part of a Republican Senate majority and reestablish Mitch McConnell, R., KY, as Majority Leader.  If, indeed, the Republicans gain control of the U. S. Senate, it is not at all clear to me Mr. McConnell will win that vote.  However, I digress…

Senator Lugar seems to continue to believe that uncompromising Tea Party Republicans voted him out.  Senator, it wasn’t that close.  You were beaten by over 200,00 votes and lost 60 – 40 percent.  An overwhelming majority of Indiana Republican primary voters thought that 35 years was long enough.  In a year that has been bad for incumbents worldwide, you had to argue that despite the fact you had been there 35 years, you weren’t part of the problem but were, rather, part of the solution.  Voters weren’t buying.

In fact, with term limits polling positive nearly 80 percent in Indiana, the evidence suggests that was the most important aspect of the election 3 weeks ago.  You had been there too long in the opinion of the grand majority of Indiana Republican primary voters.  It may well not  be more complicated than that.

Now, Senator Lugar has returned to his home in Virginia and once again been surrounded by those who have told him it was stupid hayseed rubes responsible for his defeat, voters that just didn’t understand his great contributions to America who defeated him.  Perhaps, but probably it was folks who simply thought 35 years was long enough.  Folks who understand that significant tax reform, which would boost the Dow and employment nearly overnight, just isn’t a task which can be accomplished in a body populated by 20+ year veterans, who really have no stake in upsetting the status quo in more than miniscule fashion.

Now, I hold Richard Mourdock in no great regard.  I am not yet convinced he can beat Rep. Joe Donnelly in the fall general election except by reminding everyone Donnelly’s first vote will be to keep Harry Reid, D.,NV, as Majority Leader, who has demonstrated a cataclysmic failure of leadership.  It is not yet apparent Mr. Mourdock intends to run a campaign highlighting his ideas, whatever they may be.

But, Richard Lugar should recognize few ideas are more attractive to conservatives and Tea Party folk than a Constitutional implementation of term limits for Congress.  In the end, Mr. Lugar’s defeat may not have been more complicated than that.  Mr. Lugar’s ongong bitterness is beneath someone whom the voters sent to the Senate 6 times.

Memorial Day Quick Takes

Some quick takes on items in the news…

the Indiana Pacers aren’t quite ready for prime time…even without 2 starters, the Miami Heat dust the Pacers in 6 games (as predicted here)…this will allow Pacers’ fans and sycophants to say, well, we’re competitive…OK, don’t kid yourselves, there’s alot of work yet to be done, but Eric Gordon’s arrival as a free agent this summer will get much of that done…

Iran is involved in talks to have their nuclear program at least monitored, if not regulated….this, of course, says the sanctions ARE really hurting them and a huge mistake, which the West is likely about ready to make, would be to allow them off the hook in exchange for some vague promises which they’ll soon break…Iran wants a bomb so NO ONE will ever be able to invade them, such as we invaded Saddam Hussein’s Iraq…

Pakistan, no ally of the United States (a fact lost on many American diplomats and politicians) has jailed the doctor who helped us find Osama bin Laden for treason…anyone confused about the adversarial relationship between Pakistan and the U.S. now has no excuse for their ongoing ignorance…

Obama adminstration personnel helped a Hollywood director and writer get access to at least privileged, if not top secret, information in order to help them make a movie about the SEAL Team 6 raid that resulted in bin Laden’s death; not surprisingly, originally the film, which I will take a wild guess makes Mr. Obama out a tremendous hero, was to be released in October, with many other Obama campaign ads…this is stunning news that Mr.Obama would help Hollywood make him out a hero…who would have guessed?

listening to President Obama hector Mitt Romney out on the campaign trail about Romney’s ideas to improve our economy makes me wish Romney’s guys would hammer back this way:  well, Mr. President, we are going to start by dismissing most of the new Waashington – based federal government employees you hired the past 3 yers and getting rid of most of the 10,000 new pages of rules governing business you have added to the Federal Register…

then, we are going to do tax reform and revise entitlements and with a predictable business environment, watch us grow!!

I really wonder, though, if Mitt Romney can effectively make those arguments out on the stump, or he’ll wander off into a discussion of the height of the trees or how much he likes firing people…

this Memorial Day weekend was originally a time to honor those who had sacrificed their lives to allow for free speech (even the Occupy! folks are included here), the rights of the people to peaceably assemble (yes, that includes Augusta National Golf Club) and the right for the free exercise of religious beliefs (as defined by the church, not the state). ..we should all take at least a few moments this weekend to do just that…

I will be rooting for John Barnes Panther Racing Team, sponsored by the National Guard (though Congress is attempting to defund them as I write this), in the Indianapolis 500 this weekend…3 straight 2nd place finishes, but winning would mean more to him than perhaps anyone out there…and, there could not be a more popular winning car owner…JR Hildebrand is due for a little racing luck, too…

wherever you are, have agreat holiday and remember our troops

 

The Composite President

by Bruce A. Jacobs

OK, so now we know that, according to the president’s own published works, he was born in Kenya.  It says so right on the book jacket that he used to sell his first book.  And, it was used by his publicist for 16 years to sell the book.   It apparently fit the requirement for an exotic background that Mr. Obama needed to enable him to sell the book and the ones that followed.  

 Or maybe not.  As it turns out, Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii, according to his long-form birth certificate.  And it’s a good thing too, since immigration law at the time would not have granted him “naturally born” US citizenship if he had been born outside of the country, even though his mother was a US citizen.  (The law was changed in 1986 which would have mooted the place of his birth, sadly too late for Mr. Obama).  His publicist says it was a “fact-checking error”, which was somehow never recognized until shortly before Mr. Obama decided to run for President.   Mr. Obama no doubt never noticed the error, since it is completely likely that he never actually read his own book nor looked at the back cover. 

 We also now know that Mr. Obama sat in church for 20 years and never heard the racist and anti-American screeds of his pastor.  (I know that when I go to church, the only real point is to sing the songs and read the bulletin.)  Of course, going to that particular church at that particular time was useful to establish political credentials with those constituents the Mr. Obama needed to cultivate in order to further his career.  Getting elected on the south side of Chicago is quite different than getting elected in, say, Iowa.  Since then, Mr. Obama has repudiated his long-time “spiritual mentor”, therefore the non-listening to 20 years of racist sermons is no longer an issue, and since he never heard them, they couldn’t have affected his view of life and America anyway.

 We also know that much of Mr. Obama’s autobiographical writings are now, in the light of day, shall we say, fictional.  According to Mr. Obama, many of the characters that he describes in his books to emphasize various life events are “composites”.  By this he means that he created fictional characters out of several different people (or perhaps just his imaginings?) to illustrate a particular point.  It is interesting to note, however, that one can apparently write non-fiction books which accurately portray life experience using fictional characters.  Since “composite”characters cannot be contacted or verified, they can therefore represent pretty much whatever the author wants them to represent, whether it happened or not.  Of course, we have the author’s personal guarantee that these “composite people” truly represent what happened and the thoughts and beliefs of those making up the “composite”.  That while the characters are fictional, the books themselves truly are an accurate portrayal of Mr. Obama’s experiences, no doubt similar to his accurate portrayal of non-listening to his spiritual mentor.   

 So, we have the fascinating situation where, according to Mr. Obama, he was born out of the country, but now says that was a convenient fiction which enabled him to sell books.  So, either he lied about his birth to sell books, or he lied about his birth to be eligible to be president.  Given that his birth certificate says he was born in the USA, I guess this is really a simple case of commercial fraud.  (In Liberal-speak, that means “poetic license”, a license not available to Conservative writers).    I wonder if the people who bought Mr. Obama’s books feel cheated?  I mean, they expected to read and authentic story of the exotic life and times of a fascinating political figure, but instead come to find out that its all fiction anyway.  

 Perhaps what we have here is a “Composite President”.  That is, a man who makes up whatever notion or convenient fiction is necessary for the moment to aid him in accomplishing whatever immediate goal he may have.  One who bends the reality of a situation to fit the political need of the moment.  Of course we have Mr. Obama’s solemn promise that he really does mean what he says and that what he says is most certainly true.  Unless, of course, what he means and says is a composite of reality and therefore not real, or as laymen would term it, a lie. 

 Just a thought. 

 

The Left Doesn’t Love Ms Love

There is a remarkable development going on out in Utah.  A woman named Mia Love is attempting to win a seat in Congress in the newly drawn 4th Congressional District there.  Ms. Love is a Republican and a Mormon.  OK, no big deal in Utah.  However, Ms. Love is attempting to become the first African – American Republican woman ever elected to Congress.

Wow, you say.  She must be getting help in this effort from the Congressional Black Caucus, Emily’s List and all sort of women’s groups.  Not so much.  She is a Republican and that is what is most important to those groups.  They are NOT going to line up to aid a Republican, regardless of his or her other demographic characterisitics.

So, again, laid bare for all to see is the Congressional Black Caucus is not really named accurately.  They are the Congressional Black Caucus for those in Congress who want to make African – Americans increasingly dependent upon government.  Emily’s List is a group working for women only and only for those women who will toe the line on all the issues, as seen by the directors of Emily’s List.

If it just weren’t for Ms Love’s darned conservative outlook, the left would love her.  Her parents immigrated to the U. S. from Haiti.  They did this legally (another strike against Ms Love with the left, no doubt).  Currently, she’s the Mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, reportedly one of Utah’s fastest growing cities and has demonstrated an affinity to making tough budget decisions (boy, she sure won’t fit in the House, will she?!?).  She has been endorsed by Josh Romney, one of Mitt’s sons (never a bad thing in Utah).

Mia Love is very qualified to be elected to Congress and looks as if she surely will be in November.  Upon her arrival to Washington, however, it appears as if groups which help other female and/or African – American Congressional newcomers will shun her.

Ironically, she’s likely to become a far better Congresswoman than anyone either group has ever helped.  How about that E. J. Dionne and others  in the Beltway media echo chamber?!?  Pretty good story, wouldn’t you say?!?

Regular readers of the Washington Post and/or New York Times will likely never hear of her.  Unless she were to become much more prominent nationally, in which case, a la Sarah Palin, the lamestreams would have to set out to destroy her, so dangerous would a prominent  African – American female be to the Democrat brand.

Mayor Booker Is Scorned (But, He’s Right!)

Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker has much to learn about politics.  David Axelrod, the head of the Obama campaign’s vaunted Chicago machine, seems ready to conduct a crash course.

Mayor Booker, on NBC of all places, defended Bain Capital (Mitt Romney was once their CEO) and said it was nauseating to him to see the Obama campaign plan was, apparently, to denigrate venture capitalists’ contributions to communities.  Former community organizer Barack Obama must have choked on his corn flakes Sunday morning when he heard that.  No, we teach community residents to sign up for government programs, the President thought to himself, we don’t work with various corporations to improve those communities.

Mayor Booker who has worked with various groups to try and improve Newark schools seems to have developed an appreciation for corporate donations and how they can do things government can’t and at a speed of which government might only dream.  So, he is a little uncomfortable in painting these folks with such a sharp hue of flat black.  He has seen firsthand how helpful some of these folks can be.  Demeaning capitalism, Mayor Booker is saying, is hardly the way to further revive our economy.

Well.  David Axelrod said Mayor Booker was just “plain wrong.”  Bain, in fact, was all bad.  He was prepared to cite chapter and verse.

The Obama Campaign has decided defending their record simply cannot be done.  They have decided to try and make Mitt Romney out a greedy Wall Street monster who threw the vaunted little guy under the bus in town after town, acting the robber baron with his Bain Capital buddies.  Their idea:  check out their campaign cartoon primer on their website, where we follow Julia.  At every step along the way, she is the beneficiary of a government program. 

This contrast between the views of what America should be about could not be more clear.  Are you for capitalism in America or do you favor the further conversion of our once great country into simply an instrument to transfer wealth?

Mayor Booker favors the former view.  So do I.  So, too, I pray, will a majority of Americans.  If we do not triumph this time, by 2016, Mr. Obama may have a clear majority permanently dependent upon government.  In which case, he can appear in front of a big sign saying: Mission Accomplished.

And, that rate at which our ship sinks will hasten.

Sufficient Ability To Solve Our Problems?

Depending to whom one listens, there is either great hope that, probably post-election, there are enough mature persons in Congress who can perform basic mathematics functions to solve our deficit and debt problems or there are an insufficient number of such persons.  Yesterday’s political talk shows allowed one to sample from both camps.  Actually, from the same guys, on the same show!

The problem is easy to define:  we spend to much money, both now (Obama’s budget) and in the future (unfunded ‘entitlement’ spending liabilities).  Ah, now fixing it is something else…

Sen. Dick Durbin, D.,IL, who was a ‘yes’ vote on the Bowles – Simpson Commission that called for tax increases and spending cuts 3.5 times that much, was calling for Congressman Paul Ryan, R.,WI, to negotiate against himself yesterday on NBCs Meet The Press and indicate how much tax he’ll agree to.  Mr. Ryan, for his part, reminded Sen. Durbin the U.S. Senate has failed in its responsibility to have a budget the past three years and, if they had one, negotiations in conference committee would ensue and, perhaps, something about the deficit could get done.  Long term solutions to our debt must, as Rep. Ryan pointed out, contain signficiant revisions to Medicare, which is careening towards bankruptcy currently.

Mr. Ryan correctly suggests tax reform as the vehicle to move us forward and concedes there may be increased revenues from that. 

This is a fine idea.  It would end the uncertainty that is surrounding small business (I am such a person) and would have a tonic effect upon the stock market, which would foster investment.

However, I am highly, highly skeptical the permanent political class (i.e., Congress) will ever agree to a significant tax simplification and reform.  What would they do then?  Would K Street lobbyists still come over and kiss their posterior and line their pockets with campaign re-election cash?  Probably not…thus, no meaningful tax reform.

But, as we are about to see in Europe, if you are irresponsible enough for long enough, the bond underwriters and buyers will have their way with you and you will have a market – induced austerity.  Politicians can stamp their little foot at those folks all they like, but they cannot force the purchase of their poorly rated bonds. 

Europe is about to find this out.  Will that be sufficient for America’s “leaders” to sort things out, or will we have to learn that lesson afresh ourselves.

Yesterday, I was both optimistic and pessimistic there were enough serious persons to avoid calamity here in the U.S.  All while watching the same program.

But, one thing for sure.  President Obama, who commissioned Bowles – Simpson can then ignored their findings, is not about to suggest significant spending cuts or etitlement revisions.  This election is a referrendum upon solving the problem or kicking the can down the road a bit further.

Does America, outside of the world’s top ten in both math and science among school children, have enough serious persons with mathematics skills to solve this big, big problem on our own, without bond buyers enforcing government spending cuts?

I’m just not sure….I hope and pray so!

Wisconsin Recall

It is going to be instructive to continue to watch the effort of union leaders and Occupy! folk to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.  It is instructive to see why they’re so mad at him.

Walker, facing a budget deficit and not owning a mint printing press (a la President Obama), surveyed the Wisconsin fiscal landscape and concluded, among other things, the arrangement Wisconsin public employees and retirees had was one which was:  a) not sustainable and  b) not often seen, especially these days, in the private sector.  In other words, Wisconsin taxpayers were being asked to fund a pension with their tax dollars that offered a better deal than they could get, in all likelihood, at their place of employment.  Wisconsin taxpayers got Walker elected.

Immediately, Mr. Walker overplayed his hand a bit and union leaders decided to make Wisconsin a set piece battle in their fight to avoid  dissolution.  They enlisted MSNBC’s Ed Schultz, who looks like a Hollywood portrayal of a union boss, to help raise awareness and got teachers (some of whom shanghaied their students into attending) all fired up and they basically took over the statehouse in Madison, among the more liberal towns in all America.  Eventually, despite the flight of Wisconsin Democrat Senators to other locales, measures to change the retirement and health care benefits the taxpayers buy for Wisconsin public employees was changed.  The budget was balanced.

Losing enraged the unions, Democrats and MSNBC.  They started a petition drive to recall Mr. Walker.  Walker won in 2010, beating Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barret 52-47%.  Polls show the margin about the same this time, with an ABC poll released yesterday showing Mr. Walker up 50 – 44.  The recall election is scheduled June 5.

Unions got these great deals by helping elect Democrats, who promptly turned around and granted unrealistic benefits to their union minders.  It is hardly collective bargaining when campaign debts are repaid with taxpayer money.  It appears as if a majority of Wisconsin voters might actually understand this.

Great Democrats, Franklin Roosevelt, decried the formation of public employee unions.  Democrats circa 2012, seeing victims (who can be thusly be portrayed as being treated unfairly) everywhere they look, no longer feel that way.

But, maybe America is tired of hearing how everyone has been treated unfairly, tired of being pitted against one another and are instead focusing on those who clearly, with taxpayer money, had a better deal than the taxpayers themselves have.  Perhaps, so goes Wisconsin, so goes the nation.

Barack Obama must certainly hope not!