Democrats try to make a trillion ‘sound normal’

NEWS AND OPINION:

One of the best bumper stickers ever — at least according to Inside the Beltway records — was the one that simply said “Don’t tell Obama what comes after a trillion.”

The year was 2010. The public feared big spending then. And just so you know, the national debt on Oct. 25, 2010, according to the always-vigilant U.S. Treasury was $13,669,359,903,495.66.

As of noon Sunday it stands at more than twice that — $28,881,233,681,285.16, according to the federal agency.

A Republican stalwart offers a possible explanation for the cavalier attitude among many members of the Democratic Party toward these stupefying amounts of money. Perhaps it is a strategic phrase.

“Democrats are trying to make a trillion sound normal,” wrote Saul Anuzis, former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and now president of 60Plus, an elder-advocacy group.

“So when Democrats tell you spending an extra $3.5 trillion (or $5-plus trillion), will actually cost the American taxpayer zero — don’t forget to ask them about buying the Brooklyn Bridge as well,” Mr. Anuzis advised in his brief commentary shared with Inside the Beltway.

BUMPER PATROL

Speaking of bumper stickers, a new one has surfaced in Southern California — all done up in red, white and blue and sporting a straightforward message.

Melanie Morgan — a talk-radio host and producer and advocate for the U.S. military in the Golden State — has discovered the latest example of bumper sticker commentary in her neighborhood. And here it is:

“American-made products don’t get stuck on cargo ships.”

WILDER’S APPLAUSE FOR YOUNGKIN

One former Virginia Democratic governor is not happy with the Democrats who followed him in that office. But he has a kind word about Glenn Youngkin, the Republican hopeful now running for governor of the commonwealth.

“The inequities relative to Historically Black Colleges and Universities — HBCUs — in Virginia continue in 2021. Little, if anything, has ever been done by the state for Virginia Union, Hampton, and Virginia University of Lynchburg,” wrote L. Douglas Wilder in an essay published Saturday on his personal website.

Mr. Wilder, in office from 1990 to 1994, had previously contacted Rep. Bobby Scott, Virginia Democrat, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and a bipartisan group of legislative leaders in Richmond. He requested they allocate $50 million to each of the HBCUs from funds the commonwealth received through the American Rescue Plan Act.

There was no response. The campuses did not receive any portion of the $4.3 billion available to Virginia.

“Not a penny,” Mr. Wilder wrote.

But wait. Then he saw a campaign speech made Friday by Mr. Youngkin.

“When I watched Glenn Youngkin last evening commit to provide funding for all five of our HBCUs in any budget he submitted to the legislature if he were governor, it was historical. This is the first time any candidate for governor has made this public commitment,” Mr. Wilder wrote in his essay.

“Our HBCUs are subjected to disparate conditions and they deserve better. As I’ve stated, no Democrat can win a statewide election in Virginia without massive support from the black community; however, their needs continue to be ignored by those who purport to represent them. The people are not stupid; they are voting on issues and for those who speak to the issues that impact their lives. Maybe Northam and McAuliffe will tell us why they have not supported our HBCUs. Stay tuned,” Mr. Wilder concluded.

SPACE UBER

“The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for Commercial Crew Space Transportation Services to and from the International Space Station,” advises a new request from the federal space agency.
Yes, NASA’s looking for a lift for American crews, supplied by “one or more U.S. providers,” according to an agency statement.

“Depending on mission requirements, NASA may purchase single seats, multiple seats within one mission, or an entire mission,” NASA said.

“NASA has a need for additional crew rotation flights to the space station beyond the twelve missions the agency has awarded Boeing and SpaceX under the current contracts,” said Phil McAlister, director of NASA’s commercial spaceflight division.

The agency first awarded those contracts to the aforementioned companies in 2014.

“Commercial crew transportation services are going to be needed into the foreseeable future, and we want to maintain competition, provide assured access to space on U.S. human launch systems and continue to enable a low-Earth orbit economy,” Mr. McAlister said.

Also of interest: NASA hopes to ensure operational readiness to provide vital “life boat capability” if the need ever arises. The fourth crew flight aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft departs the planet at 2:21 a.m. Eastern time on Oct. 31, scheduled to dock at the space station at 12:10 a.m. on Nov. 1.

FOXIFIED

Fox Weather — a 24/7 streaming weather service created by Fox News Media — launches Monday, featuring the expertise of 120 meteorologists covering local, regional and national reports, plus live programming.  

Fox Weather is a free service available at Foxweather.com and through the Fox Weather app for iOS and Android. It will also be available on internet-connected TVs via Fox Now, the Fox News app, and Tubi.

POLL DU JOUR

• 79% of U.S. adults judge the U.S. economy to be “just fair or poor.”

• 60% say that food, groceries, paper and cleaning products are in short supply.

• 54% disapprove of President Biden’s handling of the economy.

• 47% think there will be a recession in the next year.

• 46% say the economy will get worse in the year ahead.

• 31% say now is a good time to invest in stocks.

SOURCE: A CNBC All-America Economic Survey of 800 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 14-17.

• Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com