President Obama makes me feel like a lazy underachiever and I hate him for it. In just over a month, he and his "propeller-heads" are reshaping Washington and making change.
It finally struck me this morning when I read David Brooks. The conservatives are freaked out. President Obama is moving on multiple fronts to reshape the country and to improve our economy and David Brooks is freaking out!
Yet they set off my Burkean alarm bells. I fear that in trying to do everything at once, they will do nothing well. I fear that we have a group of people who haven’t even learned to use their new phone system trying to redesign half the U.S. economy. I fear they are going to try to undertake the biggest administrative challenge in American history while refusing to hire the people who can help the most: agency veterans who are registered lobbyists.
When columnists like David Brooks are moved to write paragraphs like this then I think to myself: The Obama administration is on the RIGHT TRACK. A long time ago, I saw spoken word artist Darian Dauchan perform his prescient piece called "Damn You Barack Obama You Pretty Motha Fu*ker." For some reason reading David Brooks today, reminded me of that poem.
President Obama seems to constantly confound the establishment media and its pundits. I watched last night as Hardball's Chris Matthews "lost his mind" on national television over his own 401 K. http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/...
As he melted down, it only confirmed that the beltway press and pundits have their own interests in mind AT ALL TIMES. They have contributed to our microwave society where complex problems are expected to be "magically solved" with very little pain or effort. President Obama takes the long view and I for one am grateful for that.
My mother recently explained that she does not worry about President Obama because he reminds her of Billy Dee Williams. It is an interesting point. I don't know how many of you know of Billy Dee's work. He was basically Denzel Washington before Denzel. Black folks, we loved us some Billy Dee. He was cool, calm, and collected. He was elegant and did not sweat. He was in control and he didn't need to raise his voice to convey his authority. And boy, that VOICE could make any Black woman of a certain age SWOON! In my mom's estimation, Billy Dee Williams paved the way for Barack Obama. So I say it again, Damn President Obama, why are you so fly?
Ezra Klein highlights how much has already been accomplished in the first month of the Obama administration. It is worth taking note.
We've just closed out the first month of Obama's presidency. During that period, Obama passed S-CHIP expansion, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a $787 billion stimulus package that was many bills in one (including such liberal priorities as comparative effectiveness research, transit funding, Health IT funding, broadband funding, etc), and is about to turn his attention to comprehensive health care reform.
Klein does not even bring up the significant executive orders that have been signed by the President regarding transparency, Gitmo, torture, setting up an office of Urban Policy among others. The administration has offered a plan on stemming housing foreclosures that will go into effect next week. It is breathtaking when taken all together. Once again, Damn You President Obama...
I already anticipate the comments that will label me as being a brainless disciple of the cult of Obama (are you there David S and Chairman Bob A???) and I don't care. This is a diary about hard work, effort, and the promise of better outcomes for those of us who have little. So thank you President Obama and your staff for "hitting the ground running." I will continue to take issue and complain when you offer policies that I disagree with but I promise to refrain from being disagreable in the process. Let me say one last time, Damn you Mr. President, why you so FLY?