Uncle Sam Not Committed to 'Shared Sacrifice'

A quick trip around Hannity's America...

Cash In!

As unemployment around the country is approaching double digits, there's one employer that's not too worried about tightening its belt: the federal government!

Last year, the president called on people around the world to make shared sacrifices for the common good:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Now is the time to join together through constant cooperation and strong institutions and shared sacrifice and a global commitment to progress to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

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But CBS News reports that apparently, Uncle Sam is not making any sacrifices. The federal government is on a hiring spree: Executive branch employment will increase by 15.6 percent in the 2010 fiscal year and the average federal employee will make a whopping $75,413 -- that's up more than $3,000 from last year.

But really, given all the hard work the federal government is doing managing so many private companies, maybe that makes sense.

Stimulus Stagnates

While the federal government is expanding at an astounding rate, state governments are making painful cutbacks because the stimulus isn't working. The Washington Post reports that the stimulus bill won't save many state employees from the nation's unemployment lines because state governments are slashing jobs like crazy.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who has already cut 1,000 state jobs, just got rid of another 250. The state of Arizona no longer investigates all claims of child abuse because it has cut so many social service jobs.

According to The Post, "As the stimulus plan was being drawn up, there was agreement... that a key goal was to keep states from making big layoffs at a time when 700,000 Americans were losing their jobs every month."

So even by their own measurements, the stimulus is failing. Do you think President Obama will come out and tell us that any time soon?

Guacamole Gibbs

The media's infatuation with President Obama and his chief spokesman, Robert Gibbs hit an all-time high at Tuesday's briefing. With the economy in shambles, wars waging and a health care debate on the horizon, what did one reporter choose to ask my pal Robert about?

Avocados.

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WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY ROBERT GIBBS: Let me go ahead and short circuit that. I assume those — I have some in my office. The Mexican Embassy as part of Cinco de Mayo sent avocados.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: And the president suggested that I send them some good old American DVDs.

GIBBS: I've not made the guacamole yet.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: Surprising, I know, considering I don't have to prepare for these briefings with questions like this.

GIBBS: But if somebody can get me a relatively sharp knife.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: The Secret Service is going to love that request.

GIBBS: Some garlic, tomatoes and red onions.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: I should stop talking.

GIBBS: And bring the chips, we'll be good to go.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: I assume the next hardball question is, "What's for dessert?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Wow, Robert, I don't know how you get out of bed every day knowing you're going to face tough questions like that.

A Few Bad Apples…

There's more controversy surrounding the Apple iPhone's app store. The company had been heavily criticized for approving a game for the phone known as Baby Shaker. The objective of that game according to Wired.com was to shake your phone until red X marks appeared over the child's eyes pictured on the screen. Apple quickly removed that app and said it was a mistake that it was ever even approved.

Well, now Apple has refused to approve an app that would allow users to upload their pictures and crop them onto the body of Jesus. Apple says, "Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content."

I guess those commercials are telling the truth: Apple really does have an app for everything!

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