For the record, I remain deeply grateful that Barack Obama is our President. He is superbly intelligent, balanced, ethical and, I believe, deeply well-intentioned. I think he, like so many young, charismatic leaders, truly believed he could bring change to America.
In some important ways he has.
But, in many ways, he is already failing - and will contine to fail - to bring nation-resurrecting change to this county.
Maybe he's now seeing that the cancer is too deep. That he, too, has to make horrendous choices he didn't expect - e.g. signing a credit card reform bill with a horrific loaded-gun amendment attached or reversing his decision to release photos of our past crimes in Abu Ghraib instead of facing down a malevolent ex-vice president's fear-mongering.
Granted, there is bigger picture I know nothing about.
But it deeply saddens me to see many of the choices President Obama is making. This all feels so terribly familar. Expanding war in the middle east instead of bringing our troops home. Not ensuring the end to American terror abuses by shutting down an employed outlet, Gitmo.
Tribunals are remaining in place. Wire-tapping is still OK. Worst of all, the United States of America under the new leadership of Barack Obama is still acting the part of all-knowing leader of the free world dictating with our policies and behaviors. Intent on having it our way even to the death and destruction of our own troops and citizens of foreign lands.
As I said, the whole thing is making me very sad.
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Joan Walsh
Kerry Lauerman
Salon.com
Comments
So far I'd say the only thing Obama has done right is to allow stem cell research (before the US falls laughable behind the rest of the world).
How hard is it to find one honest person to act as President? Certainly someone, somewhere, is immune to the insane corruption in Washington.
Four months into a four-year term and even the most determined happy-face Democratic voters are getting that horrible feeling you get when you taste sour milk. This... is... no... good... dammit.
C'mon, Barrack... get your stuff together. Don't be Bush43 1/2.
2) President Obama is trying to close Guantanamo bay, the Congress are the ones blocking the move.
3) The Tribunals are still in place, but they will be open and required to go by the rules of law rather than secretive.
4) We have seen plenty of torture pictures, why would a couple more make a difference? Furthermore putting them out in public before any full investigation will only lessen their impact at a trial. So I don't see this as a total negative
And finally we aren't invading any new nations or demanding governments do things our way or else. Yes, the mess is huge and President Obama is working his way through it. After 8 years of hte drunken Texas frat boy, demanding instant results is kind of petty if you ask me.
Then, in Defeat, I, REPUBLICAN must pointeth outeth to Youeth that the LORD must defeat SATAN as our Chosen One hath defeated the Mummy and the Dummy.
The LORD needeth your helpeth- not to be a naive idealist, but to helpeth the Chosen One DEFEAT those who worship False Idols- to do this the Chosen One MUST Rain HELL-FIRE on those off the path...You MUST fervently pray for his Victory!
I, REPUBLICAN Sayeth ... so it must be 21% true
Some see his Afghan policy as throwing a bone to the hawks -- but it is exactly what he said he was going to do during the campaign. His economic policy is based on the very real concern that if he pushes the banks too hard it will lead to a deeper recession and perhaps a depression.
Obama is in an incredibly difficult position. He knows he is viewed by some as too weak, too inexperienced and too not-white and thus, he knows he must walk the edge of a razor-blade. Though I may disagree with his policies, I am willing to grant him some latitude on all save one:
Torture prosecutions are non-negotiable; we can restore our economy or anything else unless we first restore our collective soul.