Think it over ... going back to JFK, our current President is one of the weakest leaders the Dems have had in decades. He's got a 58 or 59 seat majority in the Senate and a huge majority in the House, and yet he can't get anything important accomplished, with a few exceptions, such as health care and stimulus (the half-hearted stimulus, that is).
He has expressed frustration at BP, but where is the bold action? He could/should have declared it a national emergency and a threat to the nation's economic security, thereby permitting the Corps of Engineers to take complete control of the situation. He could have pulled together the joint Chiefs of Staff and told them they have a month to get the oil leak stopped - with all the nation's resources at their command. Do you think the Joint Chiefs could plug that leak in a month? You're darned tootin' that they could!
Too much pussyfooting! That's all we've been getting from this Administration - just dancing and pussyfooting around. No major jobs program - nothing!
We're sitting on a 10% unemployment rate, not counting another 6 or 7% desperate workers who are partially employed, many with no benefits and barely scraping by.
The Greek Prime Minister announced recently that paying one's taxes should be regarded as an act of patriotism. It's very simple, and it's true.
We could eliminate our national debt and budget deficit by having the wealthiest Americans to make a one-time contribution. Think how much better off we would all be, and it could all be done in the name of patriotism, just as it was done in World War II, when ever man, woman, and child had to make many sacrifices in order to preserve our national security.
We've gotten a lot of words from this President, but very little action is evident. He's tried to play Mr. Nice Guy with the Republicans, which is completely the wrong strategy. He played into their hands, because they have neutralized his large advantages in the Congress.
Obama seems to think that any important action must originate in the Congress. His model of Presidency seems to be that the President merely "presides" over the work of the Congress. Unfortunately, while this might have worked 200 years ago, we have to overcome major damage inflicted by Bush & Cheney and this horrid right-wing insaniity that's been going on.
The people can truly ask why they should make donations, why should they go out and help Democratic candidates this year, when they have accomplished so little, at least in terms of the economic situation, which is a national EMERGENCY.
Imagine it! A Democratic President with large Congressional majorities has failed to bring unemployment below 9.5%, and there is no prospect of improvement on the horizon! This is mind-boggling - the PEOPLE elected him to get them back to work - but our Administration has let them down. Maybe this is why Peter Orzag is falling on his sword this week, and perhaps why Rahm may be on his way out.
It seems that the Rahm Emmanuel and Tom Daschle conciliatory approach has had the upper hand in the first 18 months of our President's Administration. It's hard to believe he's been President for 18 months. What an incredible disappointment!
What I'm hoping for is that if enough of us can get our voices heard, it might not be too late to get some bold action from this Administration. Otherwise, and if nothing else changes, the Republicans might well be swept back into power in November, and what a travesty that would be!