Day: June 20, 2010

A New Approach To Father’s Day By President Obama!

President Obama did the obligatory thing by issuing a proclamation for Fathers’s Day, much as he does for many other holidays and commemorations! This is one of the more routine, but also pleasant, duties of the Presidency!

BUT Obama went a step further, and in so doing, recognized the role of “two fathers”, along with stepfathers, grandfathers, and single fathers!

Going beyond the traditional father and mother family, Obama gave dignity to the reality of many unusual, unconventional family systems that still have a positive effect on the growth, happiness and welfare of children!

Gay fathers can be outstanding parents, and often have a sensitivity that enriches their children. Obama is to be commended for his recognition of the growing reality of fatherhood in every day America, not the idealized view of what some think is the only acceptable way of parenting!

The Internet, Cyber Security, And Presidential Power: A Dangerous Concept! :(

Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut is promoting legislation that would provide the President the power to take over the internet in a moment of danger due to a cyber attack from overseas, such as from China!

There is no question of the concerns about cyber security, as we have become so dependent on the internet that we could easily be paralyzed by a foreign attack in cyberspace!

But the thought of the President being able to shut down or control access to the internet is an absolutely terrifying concept! ๐Ÿ™

Even if one believes President Obama is a man who could be trusted, what about future Presidents who many would not feel comfortable with in gaining such absolute power?

Would we want a future Richard Nixon or George W. Bush having this authority? The answer clearly is NO! ๐Ÿ™

Of course, one might argue that already the President possesses extreme and absolute power in many ways dealing with military and foreign policy matters.

But one is reluctant to authorize any additional power being granted, as unwise and worrisome! ๐Ÿ™

However, probably in a realistic sense, this eventuality will come about, whether we like it or not! ๐Ÿ™

Father’s Day, Family Values, And Hypocritical Conservatives! :(

President Obama is an ideal father, and has a stable, well adjusted family life!

This is, unfortunately, not as typical as one might think, with many families lacking a father, whether by tragedy or by irresponsibility! ๐Ÿ™

Obama is an excellent spokesman for family values, and yet he is under constant attack by people who are pure hypocrites! ๐Ÿ™

There are many people in the media and politics who constantly advocate family values, but do not practice what they preach! ๐Ÿ™

This includes, for instance, conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh (four marriages), and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (three marriages)!

While no one is claiming that liberals and Democrats have an ideal record as parents and promoting family values, it is a well known fact that there are many more conservatives and Republicans who have a sorry record on these matters, even though they are the ones constantly promoting family values to gain political advantage! ๐Ÿ™

So on this Father’s Day, let us salute President Obama for his outstanding image as a dad and a husband! ๐Ÿ™‚

The Obama Challenge: Regain His Base To Keep Down Democratic Losses In Congress And The States In 2010!

President Obama faces a major challenge: to keep the base that helped him to win the 2008 Presidential election active and involved, with the goal being to hold down the losses of the Democratic Party in Congress and the states in the 2010 midterm elections!

It is well understood that the party in the White House loses seats in Congress and suffers losses in state election at the time of the midterm elections.

But IF the President’s strategy of investing money in the hope of appealing to the young, minorities, women, and independents works, those losses could be minor, which would both help the President’s agenda in 2011 and 2012, and also jump start his reelection campaign for 2012!

The lack of enthusiasm among these groups is obvious, but the President has accomplished enough in his first 17 months, and hopes for an economic recovery to start kicking in this summer and fall, all designed to stir enthusiasm, and also realization that what has been accomplished could be reversed if there are major losses! ๐Ÿ™

The situation politically is fluid enough at this point that the Republican party cannot be sure that they will have the major gains they are hoping for. The battle for the future is very much at hand, and the need for the loyal supporters of the President to get out there, campaign for, and vote for the Obama agenda is essential for future success!

Major Reform Of Senate Rules About To Be Accomplished! :)

Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri s about to accomplish what once seemed impossible–a major reform of Senate rules, which requires a two thirds vote of the Senate, 67 in total!

With the backing of nine Republicans and 58 Democrats, all but Robert Byrd of West Virginia, McCaskill is promoting the end of “anonymous holds” on presidential nominations. A senator could still put a “hold” on a nominee, but would have to be revealed publicly.

This tactic has been used a lot by several senators, among them being James Inhofe and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Richard Shelby of Alabama. But many times, these and other Republicans have done it secretly, sometimes stalling as many as 70 nominations without having to take responsibility for their actions.

This is a necessary first step to make the Senate more able to deal with the legislative agenda. It is infuriating that a minority can hold up action without responsibility! ๐Ÿ™

The fact that McCaskill has been able to gain the support of nine Republicans, including two who are leaving the Senate this year (Christopher Bond of Missouri and Sam Brownback of Kansas), is an amazing feat! ๐Ÿ™‚

Let’s hope it can lead to other updating of archaic Senate rules, which has helped to paralyze that body, and make it seem out of touch to the American people! ๐Ÿ™

Barack Obama And Foreign Public Opinion 17 Months In Office

President Obama remains popular overseas after 17 months in office, as indicated by recent surveys done by the Pew Research Center.

Especially favorable in Germany (90 percent), France (87 percent) and Great Britain (84 percent), the President’s ratings in Russia (57 percent) and China (58 percent) were also notable!

The one area of the world where Obama has major problems is the Middle East and the Muslim countries, generally, who still have a major suspicion of the United States, due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the confrontation with Iran, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So even in “friendly” Muslim countries such as Egypt, the President’s standing is only 17 percent, despite Obama’s outreach to the Islamic world!

Interestingly, at home, 65 percent like Obama’s foreign policy, despite the attempts of conservatives and Republicans to attack and be critical of his initiatives!

The British Media, BP And Anti American Sentiments: Shocking To An Anglophile! :(

The author wishes to make it clear that he is an Anglophile, who admires and appreciates everything British, even though historically, as with any country, there are certainly criticisms that can be made of a nation’s sins in its past!

Therefore, it is very shocking to the author to witness the depth of the resentment expressed in the British media toward the United States, over the Oil Spill Crisis caused by the accident involving British Petroleum Corporation!

The BP mishandling of this environmental and economic disaster, and the insistence of the US government that BP is totally responsible for all costs of the resolution of this matter, has managed to cause a rift unseen in a long time!

The US and Great Britain have had a special relationship for a long time, going back to World War II. While the two nations have not always agreed on everything, and sometimes their leaders have been on different wavelengths on different foreign policy matters, it is something new to have the British media, famous for being extremely emotional on many issues, to make the United States government and its President the center of harsh criticism over something that even they should realize we as a nation have every right to be furious about!

To be demanding answers from BP at a Congressional hearing is not unreasonable! What is unreasonable is that BP acted in a totally aloof, evasive way, and has conducted terrible public relations on the Oil Spill Crisis in the past two months! ๐Ÿ™

If Great Britain had suffered the same tragic economic and environmental disaster as a result of the mishandling and abuses of an American corporation, would not they be just as furious and demanding of action as our country is with BP? ๐Ÿ™

Therefore, the British media reaction arouses resentment and anger in this country, rightfully, and it seems to the author, that their conduct is reprehensible!

Thank goodness, the British government has been more circumspect in its behavior, even thought it is obvious that British Prime Minister David Cameron is certainly uneasy and uncomfortable with how the United States citizenry, media and government have been expressing growing frustration with BP!

Neither nation, however, should allow the Oil Spill Crisis to undermine relations between two countries, which have been as close to “bosom buddies” as any two nations could possibly be over a long period of time!