This diary won't be full of lots of original thought. Consider it more of an exercise in reporting.
During the most recent pie fights on 'tough love' for the POTUS, I was (am?) one of voices arguing that while he isn't sabre rattling on my highest priorities I was refraining from "trashing" him and I thought (and still think) others should also refrain. Bashing him for not issuing an Executive Order repealing DADT only weakens him and makes it harder for him to get Congress to issue a permanent fix, so the logic goes. (Note that "bashing" him [e.g., 'empty suit', 'same as Bush', 'Corporatist'] is not the same as respectful, principaled objection -- to head off that particular strawman.)
Anyway, a few people said I should diary on the status of my particular "pony" from time-to-time, so here's a short report.
Two small pieces of news to report. On the issue of help for minorities -- and my real "pony" is improving race relations but this is a helpful step one -- POTUS sat down with NAACP, Sharpton and the National Urban League during the snowstorm:
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/...
The three men who met privately with Obama for about an hour said they pushed for aid in urban and rural areas with large numbers of hurting minorities. It is the same message they hope to deliver to lawmakers of both parties as Congress considers new jobs legislation.
"We do not seek any special kind of edict ... from the president because he's African-American," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization. "We expect to be included in the process."
The meeting yielded no announcements or initiatives, although the leaders said they mainly wanted Obama to hear their message, and they professed confidence that he did.
OK, POTUS is listening. He hasn't forgotten the 'little' people. The NAACP came away saying, "What's clear is that we have a president who gets it." Fine. I'd like recognizable progress right now, but my people have waited for hundreds of years. We can probably wait a couple more. I'm not going to push the panic button and bash the President just now.
Speaking of waiting....hey, maybe things are going to get better gradually starting almost immediately? Perhaps The Revolution Will Not Be Televised? Hmmm, some help for the poor: http://www.federalnewsradio.com/...
To help low-income renters, HUD is proposing a $1.4 billion increase in spending for its main housing voucher program. It also wants to augment spending on homeless assistance grants by $200 million, with about half the increase going toward housing in rural areas.
...
The agency is proposing several budget cuts, including $500 million from a fund used to update and renovate public housing and $175 million from its housing block grant program. HUD officials, however, said the impact of some cuts will be muted because last year's Recovery Act included money for its projects.
In all, HUD expects its proposed budget will enable it to assist nearly 5.5 million households, about 200,000 more than at the end of fiscal 2009.
So, even as POTUS REDUCES the budget ask for HUD, the Agency is poised to help MORE people.
Well gee, maybe he DOES get it. ;-)
PS - Just so we're all on the same page the Presidential Budget is an "ask". This could look very different once it goes through congressional sausage-making, which we hope does not include a pork-filled ominbus.