Cheri Jacobus

A jury of one’s peers is a guaranteed right of criminal defendants in the U.S. justice system.

After a flurry of justifiable outcries over a number of individuals President Barack Obama chose as his “czars,” the political heat seems to have cooled. How unfortunate. But perhaps with the lowered temperature, the Senate will have the freedom to take some responsible measures to address this ever-expanding problem.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), while trying to be clever, instead has planted landmines for lawmakers in literally every state in the union. Remarkably, he doesn’t even seem to be aware he was doing just that.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) submitted three versions of a public option in healthcare to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to be scored. Not one of them includes a query on cost or savings to taxpayers should Congress subject itself to the taxpayer-funded government plan commonly referred to as the “public option,” not to be confused with the fully tricked-out Cadillac plans they now have, for which we, the taxpayers, are footing the bill.

Feed the beast, and it grows into something that can no longer be controlled, because the beast now controls us. A seemingly well-meaning, small, almost benign intrusion metastasizes into a complete and monstrous takeover. That’s how it starts.

Come on — admit it. You’ve been watching. Secretly. Perhaps just a little bit embarrassed as you close the shades so the neighbors don’t see what you’re tuning in to as you settle in with your popcorn in front of the TV. It’s all just too good to miss. Maybe you even TiVo it.

President Barack Obama’s trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, to lobby on behalf of his hometown, Chicago, to host the 2016 Olympics is raising more questions about Obama’s past Chicago associations. If Chicago is, indeed, chosen over Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, the dark cloud hanging over Obama’s keen (if unpresidential) interest and involvement in the matter will likely become even more ominous.

What do New York Gov. David Paterson and former Illinois State Assemblywoman Alice Palmer have in common? Aside from both being Democrats and African-American, both hold the distinction of being elbowed out of running for office by one Barack Obama.

Start with a clean slate on healthcare. Include Republicans in the process. Act like you were listening to the American people who showed up in droves at August town hall meetings on healthcare. Do something, Mr. President, to illustrate you are more committed to the American people than to a political victory.

Woof.