Perhaps President Barack Obama might have preferred New York Times columnist Tom Friedman to reserve these comments for their golf outings together [1], but has Friedman recognized this path toward a larger government is unsustainable?
On MSNBC’s March 5 “Morning Joe,” host Joe Scarborough recounted his childhood in the early 1970s and the poor economy. He explained there was a different focus – that his family was hoping for the economy to turn around and could have cared less about the other issues of the day –
“You know Tom Friedman, I remember in the early ’70s, my dad worked for Lockheed, got laid off and he was without a job for 18 months,”
Scarborough juxtaposed his scenario with what was going on now – that the debate about health care has distracted the so-called laser-like focus on improving unemployment in the
“My dad just wanted a job so he could take care of his family,”
And Friedman admitted the administration isn’t getting it – well at least something. Friedman said should health care pass, Obama has to tell the American people this is it for entitlements for a long time and the new focus would have to be put on the United States building its stature back up in the world.
“Well, I think they don't get something here, Joe,” Friedman said. “If this health care thing passes and I were the president the one thing I would say to the American people is, ‘Folks this is the last slice of pie you're going to get in a long time because the future is going to be about building a bigger pan. If we don't building a bigger pan with a more innovative
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