OPPORTUNITY FOR OBAMA

“You never want a serious crisis go to waste.” That’s the thought of Rahm Emanuel, the President’s chief of staff.

As the economic signs grow ever more grim, so do the problems facing the incoming Obama administration.

That's one way of looking at things. Here's another:

As the economic signs grow ever more grim, the opportunities for the Obama administration to drive through its agenda actually are getting better.

And that’s exactly what the Obama administration did.

The most notable feature of the budget is its fundamental reordering of the role of government. In the fiscal year starting in October. Obama wants to spend a 10-year total of $630 billion for a downpayment on a government takeover of the healthcare system, green the nation’s energy economy, make college education an entitlement and otherwise heavily involve the federal government in education system.

Welcome to the Welfare States of America.