A leftist friend sent me an essay by Garrison Keillor about George Bush and how history will view him as a small man. While I am not a particular fan of Keillor I do like the fact that he addresses the phenomenal expansion of government during the course of this Republican administration. He observes that the executive branch has grown to employ 1.85 million people and that the $27,000 average salary for airport screeners is holding down the $80,425 average salary for those bureaucrats working in the nation’s capital, “who are adept at taking a small acorn and weaving a seven-hour day around it.”

Keillor then goes on to write: “Not a bad gig, considering. There are mature gifted musicians scuffling for less than screeners earn, and farm families scraping along despite prayer and hard labor, and genius comedians scrapping for spare change. So a young Republican lady or gent could be tickled pink to land a job as assistant secretary for compliance assurance and get an 18-by-24 office with a window looking out on the Washington Monument and spend the day in meetings after which you will write memos of ingenious persiflage and obfuscation, like a cat smoothing the litter box.”

Hat Tip Kenny Rodgers.