George W. Bush

The Wrong Public Perception Of Barack Obama

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A new poll indicates a deficit of 65 points in the view of Barack Obama after one year in office, when comparing Democrats (88 percent support) and Republicans (23 percent support). This is an all time high for any modern President, more than for Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush.

Another poll shows that two thirds of the American people feel that Obama has given too much attention to the banks and Wall Street as compared to the one third who feel that the middle class has been given proper attention.

So if you go by these polls and the perception that is created, Barack Obama after one year is more polarizing than Bill Clinton or George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan ever was. But this is based on a wrong public perception and ignorance on the part of the American people.

What they don’t understand is that if Obama had not given attention to the banks and Wall Street, as unpopular as that might be, we would be in a Great Depression Number 2 instead of a Great Recession. Few seem to appreciate what that means, but if we had done nothing as a nation to help the elite, then the effect on us, the masses, would have been far worse.

None of the Presidents mentioned above, and none really since Franklin D. Roosevelt, have faced an economic crisis quite on the level of Barack Obama. He IS trying to deal with the middle class problems, as well as the poor, but the basic foundation of the economy must first be dealt with before anything done for the masses will work.

A better job of educating the American people is needed, and also, the gap in the two political parties’ feelings about any President needs to move beyond partisanship, as there is no excuse for such a small percentage of Republicans being supportive. What about the idea of patriotism and willingness to sacrifice an element of partisanship to back the President, whoever he is, in facing hard times, but unfortunately, the GOP today is willing to just play politics rather than do what is right for the American people! It is not flattering to have an opposition party so unwilling to do their part to promote economic recovery and what is important for the middle class.

We are involved in a war on the economic recession, and it should promote support as much as the fact that we are involved in a war against terrorism!

Barack Obama, Other Presidents, And Polls: Not To Be Taken Seriously!

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In all of the discussions about President Obama’s first year in the White House, it is pointed out that his public opinion ratings have declined since he was inaugurated. Should that be a surprise? Can any President’s “honeymoon” or any person’s real honeymoon last forever? Of course not!

But, interestingly, when compared to former Presidents, it turns out that Obama’s ratings, about 50 percent, match those of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. The two Bushes were more lucky, as the first Bush saw a higher rating because of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, and the second Bush had higher grades because of the response to September 11.

So not much can be put into these ratings, as Reagan and Clinton won reelection despite lower ratings after one year, and Bush I lost reelection despite his high ratings after one year.

The President cannot allow public opinion polls to determine his agenda. He must fight for his agenda, and let the chips fall where they may!

Something Forgotten After Massachusetts Election: The Democrats Still Have A Vast Majority!

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As the nation and the political parties adjust and react to the reality of Scott Brown’s victory for the Senate seat in Massachusetts formerly held by Ted Kennedy, it is easy for Democrats to panic and forget the reality that exists today!

That is, the Democrats have a tremendous majority in both houses of Congress–79 seats in the House (257-178) and 18 seats in the Senate (59-41).

You would think from the political commentary and rhetoric going on today that somehow the Democrats have lost control of Congress and any chance to accomplish any part of their agenda.

That is not so, as while there may have to be compromises made on health care, it does not mean that nothing can be accomplished on this issue.

It does not mean that the President should drop his other plans for domestic reform on energy and the environment and regulatory reform.

How easily many forget that even in the Senate, it is not essential to have to gain 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, because there is another tactic that has been used plenty by the GOP when they controlled Congress from 1994-2006. That is the method called RECONCILIATION, which only requires a 51 vote margin in the Senate, a bare majority, to accomplish action.

President George W. Bush used it to promote his economic plans in 2001, 2003, and 2005, and even had to utilize Vice President Dick Cheney’s tie breaking vote twice to pass his agenda into law.

Imagine that: 51-50 votes twice, and now somehow, it is claimed we cannot have that happen on Obama’s health care plans, but indeed, it CAN be done and MUST be pursued!

It is, of course, preferable to promote bipartisanship and cooperation when possible, but it is clear that the GOP has no desire to do anything of the sort, so with some minor concessions, the Democrats and President Obama CAN accomplish many of their goals and overcome the effect of the election of Senator Scott Brown and the loss of the so called “filibuster proof” majority of 60 votes!

Wonderful To See Former Presidents Clinton And George W. Bush Working Together On Haitian Relief!

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In a moment of human tragedy at the greatest level, it is wonderful to see former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush cooperating, working together with President Obama to promote a Haitian relief agenda.

The Haitian earthquake may be one of the ten greatest natural tragedies in the history of the world, and this is the time for all of us to implement efforts to alleviate human suffering and rebuild Haiti’s society and infrastructure, despite its imposing challenge.

This is not the time for mean spiritedness as expressed by the so called Christian evangelist Pat Robertson, or political exploitation as expressed by the right wing talk show hosts, such as Rush Limbaugh seeing what Obama is doing as political, to make himself look better than George W. Bush after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005.

It would be very nice to see the right wingers in Congress–such as James Inhofe and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and James DeMint of South Carolina–and also former Vice President Dick Cheney–who spend their time dividing America, devoting time and effort on dealing with the Haitian relief effort, but predictably they remain silent!

Playing Politics With National Security: The Republicans Go Negative!

Ronald 1 Comment

In the midst of the Detroit terrorism investigation surrounding the Nigerian national who attempted unsuccessfully to blow up a Northwest jet on Christmas Day, the Republican party is going negative and blaming the whole incident on the Obama Administration.

President Obama has taken responsibility for the lack of intelligence information being put together to prevent this fortunately botched attempt at bringing down an American plane. This is more than the Bush Presidency was willing to do after September 11.

And yet, Congressman Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, running for governor in that state next year, has decided to milk the issue for all it is worth as a means to raise campaign funds.

Also, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, thought to be planning a presidential run in 2012, and having called earlier for the health care reform plan to be Obama’s “Waterloo”, is also using the issue against the administration, even though the whole system of homeland security was organized under President Bush in 2003.

These are cheap shots being utilized for political gain, just days after the crisis occurred. And the trend is toward profiling everyone who is of Middle Eastern or African or Asian heritage, because there have been Al Qaeda terrorists in this country and overseas of all these ethnic origins.

I guess the answer is put everyone in this country who is of any minority group–including Latin America too–on the profiling list, and therefore, limit or refuse air passage to about 40 percent of the American population, and most of the world’s six billion plus population!

But then again, one of the spokesmen for Al Qaeda is a white Anglo, and I seem to remember that we have domestic terrorists such as Timothy McVeigh in the past, the various militia group activists, the Ku Klux Klan, and just maybe some of the “Tea Party/Freedom Works” people who, at various rallies, have sounded ready for violent revolution and bloodshed in their rhetoric.

So maybe we should shut down all air travel altogether! But wait, that would be an economic disaster, and would be conceding victory to Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations!

In other words, we cannot give in to the terrorists, but can also not profile people based on their ethnicity, as a terrorist can be of any background or nationality. What we can do is better our intelligence gathering, connect the dots better, and all be watchful and alert, and also do a lot of praying.

But ultimately, there is this fact. The chances of anyone being a victim of a terrorist attack are far less than being hit by lightning! We cannot allow ourselves to be taken “hostage” and become hysterical. But the Republican party, famous for McCarthyism in the past, is now disgracing our political discourse by utilizing a similar hysteria and panic against the threat of terrorism! Shame on them! 🙁

The First Decade Of The 21st Century: “The Big Zero”

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We are ending the first decade of the 21st century in a few days, and as we look back, the realization is, as Paul Krugman in the NY Times calls it, that the period was “The Big Zero”, with the nation in the midst of the “Great Recession” as it ends.

How is it Zero? First, the investment in stocks in the beginning of the decade came out with no profit by its end, including for those who were planning for their retirement, the so called “Baby Boomers” born after World War II.

Job Creation was Zero, and the highest unemployment since 1983 by the end of the decade resulted.

Housing prices came out Zero, after a boom early in the decade, and a complete collapse late in the decade.

Median family household income was also Zero, a sad commentary on the economic disaster of the past decade.

Overall, nothing good happened economically, and one has to wonder how we emerge from this economic mess with the possibility now of expansion of war into Yemen, and concern about the future of Iran and Pakistan, along with the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tax cuts and deregulation under George W. Bush contributed a lot to this disaster, and yet we hear nothing new from GOP leadership.

What a difference from the Clinton 90s when there may have been moral lapses on the part of the President, but it was a time of economic boom and avoidance of foreign wars. To try to make this first decade of the new century look good will be a massive undertaking that I doubt anyone who is sane will attempt to do!

Barack Obama And The New Approach To Terrorism

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President Obama is being criticized by Republicans for failing to make a public appearance and to dramatize the incident on the Northwest flight in Detroit on Christmas Day, when a Nigerian national attempted to commit a terrorist attack as the plane was landing.

Rather than promote hysteria and fear, Obama chose the route to act calmly and take necessary action within government agencies, but not to politicize by raising the threat level and giving Al Qaeda a symbolic victory by instilling panic.

This is absolutely the proper approach, as the Bush Administration saw fear as the best way to deal with the issue, while Obama is emphasizing that the government will do what it needs to do without utilizing negativism, something we have seen too much of in recent years!

Most Notable Legislation 2000-2009

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When one analyzes the most notable legislation of the decade now ending, it is clear that the national government has seen growth in its responsibilities and powers, ironically under a Republican President (George W. Bush) and Congress, with only two pieces of the top ten being under Democratic Congresses, and only the last one signed by a Democratic President (Barack Obama).

In chronological order, the legislation would be as follows:
1. Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2001
2. Use of Military Force Against Terrorists in 2001 (Afghanistan) and 2002 (Iraq)
3. Patriot Act of 2001
4. No Child Left Behind Act of 2002
5. Homeland Security Act of 2002
6. Partial Birth Abortion Ban of 2003
7. Medicare Overhaul Prescription Plan (Part D) of 2003
8. Theresa Marie Schiavo Legislation of 2005
9. Emergency Economic Stabilization (TARP) of 2008
10.American Recovery And Reinvestment (Stimulus) of 2009

When one looks back on these pieces of legislation, it is clear to the author that most of these laws were destructive of the country’s economy, foreign policy, and civil liberties. No wonder that Time Magazine called the decade now ending the “Decade of Hell”!

Barack Obama’s Decision Making Style: Deliberative, Methodical, And Measured

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President Obama has made it clear he is not afraid of doubt, and is comfortable with uncertainty. He uses his head, not his gut, and is very analytical. Such is his decision making style.

He is deliberative, methodical, and measured in his approach to decisions. He has held nine meetings with his cabinet, military advisers, and staff on Afghanistan over a period of two and a half months, and does not worry about criticism.

His approach is diametrically the opposite of the Bush-Cheney technique, described as Texas and Wyoming frontier cowboy and secretive.

Considering the disasters that the Bush-Cheney administration perpetrated, it is comforting that Obama is NOT using emotion to make decisions.

Bill Clinton’s Statement Good Reason For 22nd Amendment

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At the time that the Republican 80th Congress passed the 22nd Amendment in 1947 and passed it on to the state legislatures to ratify, there were many who might have regretted that amendment.

But the amendment, which limited future Presidents after Harry Truman from matching Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four elections to the Presidency, was in the long run, a good measure, and former President Bill Clinton’s statement today that had it not been for the amendment, he would have wanted to be in the Presidency “until I was carried away in a coffin, or defeated in an election” is excellent proof of the value of that amendment.

The point is that change in the executive branch is necessary, as the power of that office can lead to corruption if any President feels he is indispensable. Just as the Pope or anyone in any position high or low can be replaced, so can the President of the United States, and the four Presidents who have had two complete terms since 1953 are proof of why it is good there are term limits.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was 70 at the end of his second term and was smart enough to realize that his age was a limit, that it was better for a younger man to have that responsibility.

Ronald Reagan was starting to show signs of mental deterioration in his second term and left at 78, certainly an age when no one should be having the burdens of the Presidency on his shoulders.

Bill Clinton had already lowered the dignity of his office by the Monica Lewinsky scandal in his second term, and the thought that he would have the gall to have run again endlessly if there was no amendment, is itself a good enough justification to have been fortunate to have term limits.

And, of course, George W. Bush having a possible third term or more is enough to give any sane person a nightmare beyond belief! 🙂

So the 22nd Amendment is intact, ironically due to the GOP, which has had three of the four Presidents who might have been eligible for a third term were it not for what the party did in 1947. At least back then, they actually brought about something constitutionally that made sense!