Scurrying: Watch closely as campaigning begins to affect your future

Funny thing about politicians.

The closer they are to the date when voters will decide whether or not they will get a second term, the more of a flurry of activity their constituents see.

You can liken it to a smokescreen -- or any other sort of diversion to get someone to think one way instead of another.

And so far, the Obama administration seems to be doing exactly that -- sometimes successfully and sometimes miserably.

The president has announced more new policies, new ideas or new plans in the last few months than he has for most of his first term.

And don't think it is any accident.

Politicians thrive on the attention of the moment -- and when they make pronouncements, speeches and visits around the country to places other than their vacation spots, you know something is up.

Over the next few months, we will see more of just this sort of thing. The idea is to come up with a bunch of darts to throw at the re-election dart board and to see which ones stick.

Sometimes they hit the bull's eye -- and sometimes they miss the target entirely.

Witness, for instance, the latest -- a call for Catholic institutions to be required to offer birth control to employees as part of their health plans.

Now, of course, this is problematic on several levels -- religion, freedom, government sticking its nose where it does not belong, etc., etc.

And it wasn't too popular with supporters on either side of the aisle or with many people in general.

But that is the kind of news you are going to hear over the next few months, as the commander in chief moves into full campaigner-in-chief mode.

And it is why we have to be especially vigilant and especially conscious of what garbage is coming out of Washington.

Otherwise, who knows what will be next.

Published in Editorials on February 11, 2012 11:32 PM