Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi, facing a forcible ouster and possibly death, is trying to mollify important constituents by increasing government employee pay by 150 percent.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, D, used a similar tactic to avoid what had seemed like a certain election defeat last year. He gave out 14 percent pay raises despite his state's near bankruptcy and inability to pay many of its bills.
Okay, yes, I can hear you already -- the comparison is unfair. After all, Quinn won his election, and Libya probably does not have strong enough public-sector unions to save Gadhafi.
