Love It or Leave It
JACK
I have watched this circus going on in Washington with mixed emotions. First, I felt amused. Then, I realized what was happening was far too important to all of us to take a less than serious attitude. The facts are that we are in the middle of the worst economy and geopolitical position that I can remember. I felt a great deal of anger and fear at our activities in the eight years just past under the Bush, and Republican, leadership. Just before leaving office, Mr. Bush presided over absolute catastrophe, both domestically and abroad. The last proposal came from the Secretary of the Treasury, Paulson, with an 2½ page explanation that we had to agree immediately to a bailout package that ran up to $1 trillion. This was passed without oversight provisions. Now I hear the same Republican voices calling an "Obama Depression", and the massive mistakes that the government was about to make. They keep insisting that the spending bill of almost $800 billion does not bring with it the positive results of creating jobs and prosperity. I hear these voices again tell us that the only way to do it is through tax cuts. And I wonder who has been sleeping for these past eight years, when these policies brought us to the largest debt we have ever faced? I look at two major policies that brought us to where we are. It costs us at least $1 trillion to pursue the Iraq War, and another $1 trillion in the tax rebate program. I can see old-line economists rolling over in their graves at the idea that you can finance a war by cutting taxes, and somehow prosperity will trickle down to the masses.
HILLARY
What I find particularly annoying is the unbridled Obama bashing that's taking place on Capitol Hill. People were called traitors for suggesting that the previous President's ideology was faulty. Why is it ok now to so completely, and publicly, call for the President's failure? I'm baffled, and saddened. Karl Rove just gave his first report card on the President, who has been in office for less than 30 days. Why do they get to have it both ways? When the Republicans were in power, they did what they wanted without any consideration for the Democrats. They did what they thought was best, and tarred and feathered anyone that disagreed. Now the Democrats reach out to the other side of the aisle, and not only are they rebuffed they are criticized for, basically, not doing what Republicans would do. It's baffling.
JACK
It's even worse than that. The people spoke with extraordinary clarity. They elected Barack Obama overwhelmingly and replaced Republicans with Democrats in both the House and the Senate. Now, after less than a month, the Right Wing is up in arms. Rush Limbaugh seems to have assumed the mantle as leader of the Party, and has said in so many words "I hope that Obama fails." Is he really saying that he wants the American people to suffer more? To loose more jobs? To loose more loved ones in a war that has no justification in reality? I believe that President Obama has made some tactical errors, but he is doing exactly what he promised in his campaign that received a landslide victory from the American people.
It is true that no one has a crystal ball, or can accurately predict the results of his policies, but we must give it a chance. I know it cannot fail as badly as the Bush/Cheney policies. Our President has said that it's going to take time, and it could get worst before it gets better. But, he is today's quarterback, and the Democrats are Team America. The least we can do is to let today's team call the plays, and acquire a toughness that can properly rebuff the critics. I was hoping, with countless other people, including President Obama, that a bipartisan attitude would be forthcoming. As a realist, I know now that it is not going to happen. On the positive side, I go back in my patriotic ways for many years. When I served in the U.S Army Air Corps, I always had a lump in my throat when the flag passed by, and my fellow airmen could not have been more motivated. But when I witnessed President Obama's inauguration, with people of all races embracing, I could not have felt more pride in how far we had come. We must stand behind the efforts of this Administration. Just as we were all asked to stand behind the policies of the past.
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Ronald Reagan actually inherited a worse economy — recall that unemployment was close to nine percent, inflation was at 12 percent, and home mortgages were at 18 percent. But he didn't go around scaring people by saying that this was the worst catastrophe since the Great Depression. Rather, he pursued his policies with quiet confidence, which led to 25 years of growth and prosperity.
Also, I don't think you realize that Obama's trillion dollar generational theft did bring about bipartisanship, since twice as many Democrats voted against it as Republicans voted for it.
In contrast, the war in Iraq was thoroughly bipartisan, and in fact, could have been stopped at any time had the congress decided not to fund it. Obama could stop it today. But you will notice that he is not going to. Nor is he going to limit our interrogation techniques, stop rendition, or put an end to wiretapping. How many promises does he have to break before you realize you've been had?
And stop trying to blame President Bush for the mortgage bubble that is at the center of the economic meltdown. We know that that was caused by subprime lending, which was mandated by Democrats, starting with Jimmy Carter. The Bush administration attempted on numerous occasions to limit the program, but were told that doing so was simply "racism."
And check your facts — as a percentage of GDP, the debt during the Bush years was well within historical averages, whereas the debt being forced on us by Obama is absolutely unprecedented — approximately 10% of GDP. If that doesn't lead to out of control inflation, they'll have to rewrite the economics books.
Of course we want Obama to fail, because if he succeeds, Americans and their children and grandchildren will lose — for decades to come.
Curious George 02/19/09 @ 8:54 pmYou say that Ronald Reagan actually inherited a worse economy by citing a few statistics. You don't mention the fact that entire industries that are the backbone of our economy have been collapsing, like the automobile industry and all forms of banking. President Reagan did a great job in reducing the prime rate and the inflation. In doing so he showed great courage, but he did not face the enormous complications we have today.
Creating a statement about "Obama's trillion dollar generational theft" is a condemnation that has hardly been earned. I cannot believe that after 1 month in office Mr. Obama can be treated with such strident opposition. President Obama could well be wrong, but that judgement has to come in time, if at all.
To quote President Reagan and his misery index, "are we better off today than we were eight years ago?"
Come'on George, give the guy a chance.
JACK 02/22/09 @ 10:57 amWell George, once again i disagree with you, it has become a habit!
Sophie Morel 02/25/09 @ 4:06 amYou just cannot judge someone who just took the job. Imagine if an employer was doing just that, taking a new guy in his firm and firing him after a month, just become he knows! But what do you really know about President Obama yet? He and his administration has not yet had enough to make his policies work.
Let's give them a chance, because if we don't then, the world is in bad shape.
Your comments remind me of what has been happening in France with our president. He was well elected and he is doing what he was elected for, his policies. But now that he is doing the reforms he promised to do, well people disagree with him. But he did not lie, he did not do anything else than what he said while campaining, France's out of money, the state can not pay anymore, so we have as citizen to take our furture into our own hands and also take our own responsibilities, but see George I do think that the people who disagree with those policies (Presidents Sarkozy and Obama) are just selfish and do not see the big picture!
In the type of worldwide economic crisis we are in at this time, i do think that one has not to be an economist to understand that some drastic and some dramatic measures MUST be taken and voted, we do NOT have a choice, yes it is painful but my great aunt who lived in LA for most of her life, lost EVERY penny in the black tuesday in 39! so i do think we can learn from our past mistakes and that we do have to give a chance to changes!!!!
George you cannot deny that the president Bush's policies put the country and the world economy and foreign policies in a really bad shape!
Kisses from Paris to Jack and My dearest friend Hillary.
Thank you!
Somoincasiorm 02/27/09 @ 4:00 pmThank you!
goandaEsconge 03/1/09 @ 7:58 pm