Living in Opposite World

You hear about this over and over again. Someone in the administration talks about how important something is, how everything is hinging on it -- say alternative fuel sources, math and science education, etc. -- and then you look at the budget and there are cuts in that very thing, relatively deep, disproportionate cuts, no less.

Here's one example, from today's House Budget Committee's hearing on the long-term economic outlook:

FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN BEN BERNANKE: So again, I'm not an education expert, and I'm afraid I can't give you a long list of detailed recommendations, but I think, broadly speaking, what the issue is, is helping those who have been left behind to acquire the skills they need to compete and to earn good wages in what is becoming a more and more technologically sophisticated economy.

REP. DARLENE HOOLEY (D-OR): Well, as I see our economy changing, I see the need for more training and retraining of our workers, as time goes on. And yet, I look at the budget that was given to us, and it has billion-dollar cuts in employment and training programs.

Alanis Morrisette, take note.