The debate this morning is over President Obama's rebuke to Staples for cutting back on worker hours in order to avoid costly coverage requirements under Obamacare.
Here's what the President Obama said in an interview today with Buzzfeed:
"It's one thing when you've got a mom-and-pop store who can't afford to provide paid sick leave or health insurance or minimum wage to workers … but when I hear large corporations that make billions of dollars in profits trying to blame our interest in providing health insurance as an excuse for cutting back workers' wages, shame on them."
You may agree or disagree with Mr. Obama's sentiments, but here's the problem: none of this should be a surprise.
Health insurance experts, economists and political strategists on both sides of the ideological aisle have been warning this administration and the general public for more than five years that job and work hours cuts are EXACTLY what would result from passing the Affordable Care Act.
Read More Starboard letter urges Staples to merge with Office Depot
So the real question now is this: Does President Obama believe that "shame on you" is a real policy? Is this all the administration had up its sleeve to counteract the cuts despite years of friendly and not-so-friendly warnings?
And one more consideration: none of this is illegal. So is it right for a sitting President of the United States to single out a company that's not committing a crime or even breaking a workplace regulation?
Oh, and the President should also take note that Staples is not exactly so many "billions of dollars in profits." Staple is, in fact, a struggling corporation trying everything from consolidation to labor cost cutting to stay alive.
What do you think?
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