Tin Pan Alley fans can remember the classic George Gerschwin hit, Porgy ‘n’ Bess. Although today we’d be embarrassed by the Pidgin English spoken and sung by the all-black cast, this first American Opera was a groundbreaker in its day. It introduced sophisticated audiences to the resisting spirit of black folks in South Carolina living under the heel of Jim Crow.

Sportin’ Life was an appealing character for all his raffishness. He captured the imaginations of Broadway audiences with this irreverent song:

It ain’t necessarily so
It ain’t necessarily so
The things that you’re li’ble
To read in the Bible,
It ain’t necessarily so. 

Those lyrics came to mind on hearing Jay Carney’s latest foray into higher theology.

He said the Bible teaches us that “God helps those who help themselves.”

Huh? Lessee. Did he find that one in his well-thumbed Strong’s Concordance? Well, not actually. It may have come down to us from the Book of Benjamin, better known as Ben Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanac.”

It’s especially interesting to find the president’s mouthpiece talking about those who help themselves. Apparently, those who are best at helping themselves are the executives of Solyndra. They got a government-secured loan of just $535 million. And they did more than a little self-helping when they got that sweetheart loan. It came with the understanding that if and when their solar paneling outfit went belly-up, it would be the U.S. taxpayers and not Solyndra investors who would go to the back of the line for repayment.

Jay Carney does not have an enviable job. I would hate to have to defend the policies that are coming out of this administration. Even the lap dogs of the liberal media occasionally get snappish with Jay. People are focusing intently on every syllable he utters. Poor guy, the media even obsessed with his new glasses for days. My only question was whether they were rose-colored.

Whenever our liberal friends go to quotin’ the Bible, to err they are liable. I loved Howard Dean’s clueless answer to the question about his favorite New Testament Bible book. Job, he confidently answered.

Then, there was the famous John Chancellor voice over at President Reagan’s 1985 Second Inaugural. As the president approached the podium, this premier chin-stroker intoned, “he has his hand on the Bible. It is open to his favorite passage, Eleven Chronicles, 7:14.” They only had room in the Old Testament for two books of Chronicles, so maybe they fit the rest in the New. Right next to Howard Dean’s Second Book of Job. Perhaps Joe Biden can read both J-O-B-S — that “three-letter word.”

Maybe we should re-make Gerschwin’s Porgy ‘n’ Bess and dedicate it to Jay Carney’s Off-Broadway show at the White House press briefing.

It ain’t necessarily so
It ain’t necessarily so
Don’t b’lieve all that blarney
You get from Jay Carney
It ain’t necessarily so

It ain’t necessarily so
It ain’t necessarily so
Poor Jay is too liable
To mess up the Bible
It ain’t necessarily so. 

It ain’t necessarily so
It ain’t necessarily so
You’re best not believin’
All that jazz in his briefin’
It ain’t necessarily so. 

Family Research Council is a 501c(3) non-profit organization. If this post has been helpful to you, please consider a gift to help us continue to advance Faith, Family, and Freedom.