The Audacity of No Hope

Jon Corzine told The Star Ledger editorial board that he could plug in the projected $8 billion deficit for the fiscal 2010 budget the same way he plugged the 2009 budget gap; raising taxes, deferring pension contributions, withholding state funding for municipalities and school districts (thereby raising property taxes and decreasing services), and asking Obama for money.

Our friends at In The Lobby think that the old Scorpion and the Frog parable is apropos:

A scorpion was walking along the bank of a river, wondering how to get to the other side. He sees a frog, and asks the frog to take him on his back across the river. The frog says, "No, if I do that, you'll sting me and I'll drown." The scorpion assured him: "If I did that, we'd both drown." So the frog thought about it and finally agreed. So the scorpion climbed upon his back and the frog began to swim, but halfway across the river, the scorpion stung him. As the poison filled his veins, the frog turned to the scorpion and asked: "Why did you do that? Now you'll drown too." "I couldn't help it", said the scorpion. "It's my nature."

The problem with this analogy is that the scorpion (Corzine) is telling the frog (us) he will administer the poisonous sting in the middle of the river and expects to get the ride on our backs anyway.

If Corzine wins this race, it is time to start packing and developing a taste for grits.