I’d like to know if one day last week President Obama woke up and said, The day before I’m inaugurated I’m going to paint the walls in a homeless shelter to encourage public service. Or if, instead, someone in his campaign said, We’ve got a great idea for a photo-op – then invited the press cameras whirling to cover Obama painting that wall.

I guess there’s no way to know for sure – except to wait and see if a pattern develops. President Obama, quite reasonably, can say, Well, the whole point is leading by example – so I’m delighted the press was there. But, still, anytime you see a politician doing a good deed in front of a battalion of TV cameras it sure seems like politics.

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