They just don't really know it yet.
Barack Obama flew to Columbus last week to announce a stimulus-funded rescue of 25 police jobs. During his speech, this most eloquent of presidents fell into a Lyndon Johnson-like sing-song as he detailed all the other pump-priming grants to Ohio from the stimulus package: "$128 million that will put people to work renovating and rebuilding affordable housing. ... $935 million to Ohio that will create jobs rebuilding our roads, our bridges and our highways. ... $180 million for this state that will go towards expanding mass transit and buying fuel-efficient buses."
Even if these projects turn out to be the greatest job-creation engine since the construction of the pyramids, Obama and the stimulus package would only receive marginal political credit. Governor Ted Strickland will undoubtedly brag about the new roads and bridges when he runs for reelection next year and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman will bask in the success of the police academy's Class of '09. This is not ingratitude, but an illustration of how the political game works. The feds pay the bills (and sometimes take the heat), while state and local officials never miss a ribbon cutting. As a result, big-government liberalism has been in defensive crouch for 40 years as voters ridicule Washington's competence ("I'm from the federal government and I'm here to help" was a moth-eaten joke by the time Ronald Reagan reached the White House), while simultaneously hailing can-do governors and mayors....
Ohhhhhhhhh I just loooooooovvvvvveeeee big government...they do everything sooooooo wellllllll.
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