It’s hard to find a problem in America Barack Obama can’t blame on a corporation. Public opinion has whip-lashed against big business so viciously it’s like some genie popped out of a bottle and turned back the hands of the clock to the Era of the Trustbusters. The corporations – the politicians say – are melting the ice caps and wreaking havoc on the middle class and, by God, they’re going to stop them.

The corporations, for their part, are having a hard time adjusting to their new role as a political football. For years businessmen have been the good guys. They’ve been wearing white hats. Now, suddenly, they’re wearing black hats.

Political warriors – like Obama – thrive on controversy. Obama’s got no qualms about hammering away at corporations. But corporations have a different chemistry. They don’t like fights or debates. They like to minimize risks and go on about their business. They don’t want to hammer back – they want the politicians to go away and leave them alone. But, the way the politicians see it, corporations not shooting back makes them the political equivalent of sitting ducks.

Politically American businessmen face a pretty tall order. They have to figure out how to get their white hats back. But there’s hardly a political trend anywhere they can grab onto. The days of “What’s good for General Motors is good for America” are gone; we’re back to the days of Franklin Roosevelt having a “filet of grilled millionaire” each morning for breakfast.

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