Keller @ Large: Warren, Kushner Have Something In Common
BOSTON (CBS) - At a moment when it seems our political polarization couldn't possibly get any worse, there was an interesting development Monday -- two top political figures who couldn't be more different, one Republican and one Democrat, sounded the same note - an appeal for the private sector to help them.
The Republican is Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Trump, who's been appointed to run the White House Office of American Innovation, a sort of in-house think-tank in search of new ways to get things done. "The government should be run like a great American company," said Kushner. "Our hope is that we can achieve successes and efficiencies for our customers, who are the citizens."
The Democrat is Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who the New England Council, a business group, had in for a speech and she told them they should join her battle against Trump administration policies, specifically the Obamacare repeal, the immigration crackdown, and budget cuts affecting local research industries.
"It is in your economic interest to be in these fights," she said.
On one level, it's good to see these pols reaching out to business. Without a thriving private sector, job growth will be confined to government, economic growth will stagnate, and our taxes will surely go up while deficits soar.
But here's a quick reality check for both of them.
Kushner's claim that government should be run like a company is a fantasy, because government's work can't always be measured in profits and losses.
And Warren's appeal to the best interests of business contradicts her own well-known contempt for certain business practices.
Well, at least they're both trying.