Flying High and Doing his Job

A Republican friend called to complain that President Obama seems to be flying here, there and everywhere as if on a continuing campaign. He wishes President Obama would stay home and save the taxpayers the cost of operating that very large airplane.

I told him that as far as I am concerned, the President can stay in the air all the time as long as he keeps addressing or attempting to address our nation's very real problems. The economy has had three consecutive months of real growth (3.2% for the last quarter). Unemployment is down (only stayed above 10% for two months unlike Reagan who had 10 consecutive months of 10% unemployment or higher). New Home sales are up. The stimulus package is working. Most importantly, the regulatory arms of the US Government are working again. The FDA is working, the SEC is working, FEMA is working, NHTSA is working. No one is trying to dismantle government these days. Bobby Jindal of LA is asking for more help from the FED not less. Speaking of the Gulf, this morning there was a news report that federal regulators did nothing in 2004 when they were told by BP that the safeguards built in to their deep water wells might not work. Nobody from the Bush administration asked, “why?”

The saddest thing continues to be the Republican insistence on bringing Obama down by sticking to their strategy of denying him any success whatsoever. They were opposed to Wall Street reform until their own polls said "you have got to be kidding," and then they couldn't turn around fast enough. Government is supposed to work when elected officials do what is best for the country, not what the fickle weathervane of public opinion tells them is the "safe" thing to do. Governing is hard. If an elected official doesn't understand that and is not willing to ignore the polls and exert the necessary intellectual and personal energy to do the job, they should get out.

Feeling Sorry for the GOP Today

They are flailing about looking for leadership like no other time in their history. They are desperate! Right now, they are trolling television looking for that someone with the RR charisma that includes twinkling eyes, consistently colored hair and the ability to deliver beautifully crafted sound bites in 10 seconds or less.

They thought they had that someone in Bush 43 but we all know how that turned out. The man was not even comfortable in the English language. So they took a close look at Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, until he proved in his weak attempt at a rebuttal to the State of the Union speech that he had the oratorical skills of a gnat. Next it was Sarah Palin who, by the way, continues to demonstrate daily that she is about ready to take an 8th grade history class. But with those cute legs, who cares: "Pay her the dough and let's go watch the show." Then there was Scott Brown, the Tea Party darling of Boston who won Ted Kennedy's Senate seat (through ineptness of the candidate, AG Coakley). Scott Brown has proven to be an independent thinker and the GOP can't have any of that, so scratch him off the list. And so, along comes Marco Rubio, who is about to crush Governor Charlie Crist for the GOP nomination to the Senate from Florida. Rubio hasn't even won the nomination in Florida and already the GOP is pursuing him for the national race in 2012. He is embarrassed by his party's desperation.

Here's my suggestion: Go back to Hollywood. Pick out someone like Ronald Reagan who will make you feel good even as he triples the federal debt and presides over an unemployment rate of above 10% for 10 consecutive months in 1982-83 (that's correct!!) and also watched government expand its reach exponentially during his two terms in office. And you didn't care. In fact, you idolize him for all that. He is the "morning in America" President, who watched government grow and neither you nor him cared a bit. Don't you wish you had someone like that for 2012?? Of course you do. Look, start with the tape of celebs on the Red Carpet at this year's Oscar Awards Ceremony. There's got to be a candidate there for you. Don't start with Charlton Heston. I understand he is not available anymore....but there are many who are.

You're welcome. No problem at all.

Remember these names: Rick Perry, Sonny Perdue, Bobby Jindal, Haley Barbour and Mark Sanford

Those are the names of the five southern governors who have indicated they may not take money from the Obama stimulus package to help their states, particularly if it comes with "strings attached."


In other words, remaining ideologically pure in opposition to "anything Obama" is more important to them than actually meeting the needs of their constituents, serving the people who elected them.



They have 45 days from last Tuesday to certify their states will request and use the funds provided in the new law. That means they have until April 3, 2009 to help their states participate in a national effort to stimulate economic recovery.


So, don't forget those names: Rick Perry is Governor of Texas; Sonny Perdue is Governor of Georgia; Bobby Jindal is Governor of Louisiana; Haley Barbour is Governor of Mississippi and Mark Sanford is Governor of South Carolina.


Meanwhile, South Carolina's chairman of the Board of Economic Advisers is already complaining that the money is moving to slowly to the states. "We're on a trajectory to 14 percent unemployment" in South Carolina, and he pleads, "We need it now!" Are you listening Gov. Sanford?

Are any of you guys listening? It is a new day; the people of your state want none of your political posturing.


By the way, the Center for American Progress says some of the states that voted most heavily against the Obama candidacy will do the best in the stimulus package. Damn, this business of having a President who believes in actually being a President for all of the people is sure inconvenient for maintaining a Republican's narrow self serving ideology, isn't it?