Yeah, We're Calling Obama Socialist

A few days ago, there was a minor ripple in the political world, when a
media person tried to get John McCain to say that Obama is a
socialist.  Even though McCain had hinted at that several times
during the campaign, he would never state directly that Obama is a
socialist.  Well, href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587772,00.html">he still
won't (as reported by Fox):

DAVID GREGORY, HOST, "MEET THE PRESS": Do you think that
goes too far? Is it a socialist agenda from the president?



SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: There is no doubt in my mind America's a
right-of-center nation, and this administration is governing from the
left. That's why the president's approval ratings continue to decline.



GREGORY: But my question was, do you think that kind of -- because have
you heard that description before. Not just from J.D. Hayworth, but
others. Does it go too far to say the president's agenda is a socialist
agenda?



MCCAIN: I think I gave my description. I think they're governing from
the left on a broad variety of issues, but I'll let others speak for
themselves. I have enough time taking care of my own misstatements.

McCain is someone I try to like, although I did not vote for him.



Now, the issue is picking up steam, without McCain on board:

href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124359632&ft=1&f=1001">Top
Republicans: Yeah, We're Calling Obama Socialist

by Liz Halloran

March 5, 2010

Revelations that the Republican National Committee urged
fundraisers to shake the money trees by playing on fears about
President Obama and "socialism" have ignited a classic Washington
kerfuffle...



The document not only contained the strategy-of-fear suggestions and
additional unflattering caricatures of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. It also advised that ego-driven
donors could be curried with access to events and party bigwigs and
cheap giveaways.



A copy of the document was left at the hotel that hosted the retreat,
and a source provided it to Politico...



Gosney, however, described some of the document's contents as in
"poor taste," but she adds: "I'm sure if we went through the Democrats'
trash, we'd be shocked."But Gosney, like Haugland and a number of other
RNC members
contacted for this story, was perfectly comfortable with the document's
suggestion that fundraisers use the concept of socialism as a money
harvesting tool. "You have to identify something and label it so
you can talk
about it," she says, "and 'socialism' is a good scare word."



"I'm so tired of this politically correct crap," Gosney says.
"If it's socialism, let's call it that. If not, let's call it something
else." [emphasis added]

There is nothing about this kerfuffle that has anything to do with
political correctness.  It is not as though anyone is afraid to
call Obama a socialist, for fear of offending anyone.  And it is
not as though anyone is saying that we should not call Obama a
socialist, because it is not politically correct. 



No, the problem with it is that it is not correct, period.



The fact is, The United States has a mixed economic model.  It's
part capitalist, part socialist, part other things.  It's been
that way for a long time, regardless of which party is in
control.  Some of the most popular programs, such as Social
Security and Medicare, not to mention the Interstate highway system,
are pretty much socialist.  Other programs, such as the stock
market, are pretty much capitalist.  Others, such as K-Street, are
pretty much fascist. 



Calling Obama "socialist" makes as much sense as calling him
"protein."  Yeah, there is protein in Obama, but there is a lot of
other stuff, too.  Mostly water, in fact, just like the rest of
us.