THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT

It has been a most interesting month watching and listening to the Republican hopefuls. One has to wonder whom these candidates actually represent and whom they attract. There was Michele Bachmann at Graceland exhorting the crowd to wish Elvis a Happy Birthday. Apparently her staff failed to tell her it was not his birthday but the anniversary of his death. What the hell ... just a small detail. Then there was Mitt Romney telling the crowd that "corporations are people too". Wow, were they ever impressed. To this dysfunctional duo we add Texas Governor Rick Perry who in quick order wants to lynch the Federal Reserve Chairman, questioned our military's level of respect for President Obama, doesn't believe in climate change, is proud of the fact that Texas teaches both evolution and creationism and has previously suggested that Texas secede from the union.  Now that is quite a campaign platform! Apparently Republican movers and shakers are concerned and alarmed at Perry's cowboy approach to campaigning.

While the Republicans talk and debate the Democrats are resting after rolling over and giving into Tea Party inspired demands to raise the debt ceiling with spending cuts but no increase or adjustment in revenue. The job creators (wealthiest Americans) must be protected.  Leading Democrats have been conspicuously silent with the exception of the President who continues speaking to Americans as if he were in a Harvard lecture hall.  In my opinion the most politically forceful thing he has done of late was putting Donald Trump in his place at a press club dinner. President Obama was on the attack then and "The Donald" was visibly annoyed. If Obama soon doesn't begin to act like Truman, lead like FDR and put more Republicans in their place he may not have a second term.

Hopefully when everyone returns to Washington the President and the Democrats will understand and accept the fact that the new radicalized Republicans are not interested in negotiating or compromising. Bipartisanship and balance is not part of their current philosophy. Their main goal is to destroy Obama  at all costs and if that means taking the country down to accomplish this goal then so be it. To the Republicans and their Tea Party radicals the end justifies the means. Understanding that the Republican Party of today is not the GOP of the past may clear the air for those Democrats who still think that the two sides can work together. Remember most Republicans, in spite of their oath of office, have signed Grover Norquist's pledge not to raise taxes. Their minds cannot be confused with facts as they have already made up their minds.

The other night I caught the tail end of the movie The American President  with Michael Douglas. You can see a clip of the speech he gave towards the end of the movie or read the script at this site: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechtheamericanpresident.html . Anyway, it is the kind of speech I wish President Obama would give. I have taken the liberty to edit and rewrite the movie speech to reflect how I would like our President to deliver it. 

MY REWRITE

Since I took office the Republicans have suggested that it would be best if I were a one term President. And although I've not been willing to engage in their attacks on me, I have been here three years, and I can tell you without hesitation that I intend to be President for a second term.
I've known Republicans for years. And I've been operating under the assumption that the reason the GOP devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that they simply didn't get it. Well, I was wrong. the GOP's problem isn't that they don't get it. The Republican's problem is that they can't sell it! The GOP has been radicalized by the simplistic ideology of the so called Tea Party and they now view debate, negotiation and compromise as counterproductive. It is their way or the highway.
We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you the Tea Party is not the least bit interested in solving it. They are interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it ... and that would be me. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle age, middle class, middle income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family, and American values and character, and you scream about taxes, spending, the Federal debt and jobs. You tell them the government is to blame for their lot in life. And you go on television and you point the finger of blame at federal and state workers, social security recipients and those on Medicare.
The Middle Class is not the problem. They have done nothing but put their children through school, work hard and pay their taxes, and expected more from their government and elected representatives than they now receive. For years they have endured the burden of an unfair tax system. Many have lost their jobs and many more have lost their homes. It is no longer the America of their parents and they do not want this America for their children.
Next month the White House is sending a bill to Congress for its consideration. It's a Jobs and Employment bill structured to reduce unemployment by 50%  over the next four years. It is by far the most aggressive stride ever taken in the fight to reverse the effects of our current economic situation. The other piece of legislation is a budget proposal that would restructure the tax code to eliminate credits and loop holes for companies who earn billions and currently pay no federal taxes at all. It would also create tax levels more in line with the times and more balanced in their application. The wealthy will begin to pay their fair share.
We've got serious problems, and we need serious people. And if you want to talk about solutions, then the Republicans  better come at me with more than Tea Party slogans and empty promises and false statements. If you want to talk about taxes, spending, the Federal debt and jobs, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I'll show up. This a time for serious people,  and the Tea Party's time is up. My name is Barack Obama and I am the President !

It Ain't Over Till It's Over --- But Is It Over?

Barack Obama and a majority of Democrats were elected to office because many Americans were dissatisfied with what was done and not done during the Bush/Cheney years. The level of dissatisfaction was so great that the Democrats not only won the White House; but took control of both Houses of Congress. Unfortunately, having been given this opportunity to affect change the Democrats seem to have fumbled the ball on far too many occasions. We will soon have mid-term November elections and the Democrats are on the ropes facing the possibility of losing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. What went wrong?

Well, no doubt Mr. Obama assumed the Presidency just after this country hit a financial and economic iceberg of gigantic proportions. We were still engaged in unpopular and seemingly pointless wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan and there was an overall optimistic attitude that positive changes were soon to take place. Unfortunately as time passed it became apparent that we were dealing with the same crap but different flies. The economy got worse as Americans lost their jobs, homes were foreclosed and major financial institutions collapsed. We did get health care reform; but to the many without jobs and those about to lose their homes health care reform was a poor consolation prize.

Believing that we would soon extract ourselves from the unfortunate and costly mess in Iraq and Afghanistan it became apparent that not only were we not getting out of these wars; but we would be increasing our level of involvement. To add salt to Americans' wounds we saw the same financial institutions that were the catalyst for our economic catastrophe receive billions of dollars in tax payer bailout money because they were "too big to fail". On the other hand the hundreds of thousands of Americans who lost their jobs and their homes in foreclosure were apparently too small to save.

The cast of characters in this gut wrenching tragic comedy was even more annoying. We were treated to the arrogance and contempt of Attorney General Eric Holder and former Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, the confusing rationale of alleged economic genius and the new Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, the obvious incompetence of patently unqualified Janet Napolitano and the verbal gaffes of Vice President and occasional buffoon Joe Biden. As usual the Democrats displayed their uncanny ability to grab failure and defeat from hands of success.

Now we are dealing with the semi-intelligent ramblings of John McCain's gift to political theatre, Sarah Palin, and a cast of characters that include off the wall Glen Beck, the well tanned John Boehner, the sometimes out to lunch Nancy Pelosi and of course the intellectual lectures of President Obama himself. All that is missing are delusional comments of a court jester like Rod Blagojevich. Is it any wonder that Americans are turning their backs on the incompetent antics of both the Democrats and the Republicans? Is anyone surprised that the simplicity of the Tea Party is so appealing to so many?

Many elected Democrats and Republicans are more loyal to the color blue or red of their respective party than to the colors red, white and blue of all Americans. These elected politicians ignore the concepts of compromise, mediation and moderation. Their working attitude has been and continues to be their way or the highway. As a result we are in a state of gridlock with little getting done. Consequently many Americans will opt to clean house and throw the bums out. Unfortunately neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have many alternative candidates of substance, experience and intelligence to offer to the voting public. Americans are caught between a rock and a hard spot.

No doubt when Americans vote in November many Democrats and Republicans will experience the disapproval of Americans as they are voted out of office. It is unclear as to whether the Republicans will actually take control of both Houses; but it is clear that the Democrats will no longer be in control, if they ever indeed were in charge. After November the only question that remains will be whether or not Barack Obama will be elected to a second term.