There are, of course, many things to hate about politicians. None compares, in my book, with the way politicians routinely persuade themselves that the electorate is stupid.

More to the point, that I am stupid.

Exhibit 1: President Obama thinks I'm so stupid that if he manages to deny the wealthiest 2% of the population its present tax breaks, while, at the same time continuing those existing tax breaks to the rest of us - a policy established by former President Bush - that I will believe him, the members of his Administration, and Mrs. Pelosi when they refer to the untouched portion of the Bush tax cuts as the Obama tax cuts.

The President thinks I'm so stupid that all he has to say is that by not taking away these tax cuts I will believe that he is actually giving a tax break to 98% of all Americans.

Mr. President, I'm not that stupid.

Exhibit 2: More Americans are living in poverty today than in more than 20 years. 14% of all Americans earn less than $21,954 a year and are thus considered to be living in poverty. The Administration congratulates itself that its stimulus package, which shelled out $20,000 for each person living in poverty, succeeded in keeping another 20 million Americans from falling into poverty. The President thinks that, phrased that way, I'll believe the stimulus was a good thing.

What? I think it's a good thing that the President is bribing 20 million people with my money to keep him and his ilk in office, so that he can spend more of my money to support more people who happen to be having a rough time of it? This is recovery?

This is bribery.

Mr. President, I'm not that stupid.

Such equivocation and double-speak is unbecoming a man who continues to insist that he is a Christian. And it really ticks me off, to boot.

T. M. Moore