Obama the recycler

President Obama supports recycling. He must, as he is now recycling his speeches. There is no need to listen to them, because we’ve heard them all before. Don’t rely on me. His press minions are the ones with that view.

His latest speeches are the same ones he used in the 2012 campaign which were the same ones we heard in 2008. You know, the ones about how unfair the country is and how the rich exploit everyone else, and the ones whose theme is that equality means evenness of economic circumstance, except for himself of course, and redistribution of wealth to those who choose not to earn it, all in the name of “fairness.”

He is suddenly concerned about the budget, the national debt, and the debt ceiling. The question is, “Why now when he has had several months to deal with the issue?” In my view the answer is simple. His comfortable little kingdom is falling apart. It makes perfect sense if you think about it.

Summer was bad for the president. Crisis after crisis arose, all prompting Congressional investigations. Benghazi began to uncomfortably point back to the White House. It was revealed that anyone in or closely affiliated with the embassy was required to sign non-disclosures. White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett may have been the one who issued the “stand down” order. The Army officer who supposedly knows mysteriously became unavailable. Hillary’s “What does it matter” statement backfired badly and inflamed those investigating the issue.

It became public that an ABC reporter was monitored and her reporting on Benghazi stifled. On the heels of that, The AP found that numerous phone lines were monitored, and a Fox News reporter as well. There went the blind support of the media.

The government has been collecting large amounts of data on U.S. citizens. NSA employee Edward Snowden spilled the goods and left the country. The debate of whether he is a hero or a traitor is left for another time. He put the facts out there. As a result Obama is losing popularity with the younger crowd, who spend a lot of time on line with smart phones and social media. I guess they don’t like the government in their business, either.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is making Obama look like a wimp and a fool by providing temporary safe haven to Snowden. Putin is basically thumbing his nose at Obama, and the President and his buffoon Secretary of State John Kerry don’t have the backbone to do anything about it.

The IRS scandal targeting conservative groups has now gotten uncomfortably close to the White House, at least for the President. There is a clear trail to one of the two political appointees in the IRS. The President has gone from feigned outrage to calling it a phony scandal. Representative Elijah Cummings, D Maryland, has gone from anger to being the President’s mouthpiece on the investigative committee. He thinks we have enough facts and the investigation should end. Let’s just forget the newest information that there were email exchanges between the IRS and the Federal Election Commission.

Let’s recap. In the last little while the Benghazi investigation has revealed more facts (but not nearly enough), the government has spied on reporters and the IRS has been used as a political tool and targeted groups opposed to the President’s policies. We now know for sure that federal agencies are collecting and storing massive amounts of data on U.S. citizens in a blanket manner. Finally, we know that Vladimir Putin has the ability and the willingness to show the world how inept the Obama foreign policy really is.

Finally, the Affordable Health Care Act may be on the ropes. Obama’s signature legislation is losing ground quickly. No one seems to want to participate, even the IRS employees who are supposed to administer it and the Congressional employees whose bosses passed it. In Virginia, a meeting sponsored by Organizing for America (the name speaks for itself) for volunteers to promote Obamacare, had one attendee.

Is it any wonder, then, that Obama is now concerned about the economy? Finally, after five years of no budget and no spending restraint except sequestration, he is concerned about the economy and spending. He wants to focus on these “fake” and “phony” scandals to go away. If they are “fake” and “phony” why are they so worrisome? He has resorted to recycling Clinton’s tactic of creating a diversion from troublesome issues. He is certainly a recycler extraordinaire.

Tom Riggins’ column appears every other Friday.