Public health insurance option. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Defense of Marriage Act. The presidential selection in Iran. Nuclear weapons being tested in North Korea. The turnover of security in Iraq to Iraqis. Withdrawal of United States’ troops from Iraq. Deployment of United States’ troops to Afghanistan. Global Warming. Clean Energy. Sonia Sotomayor. The United States’ Supreme Court. Being a present father to Sasha and Malia. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Pirates in the Ocean. Pirates on Wall Street. Main Street. The housing and mortgages crises. Michael Jackson’s death. Sixty Democratic Senators obsessed with their own turf and not the people’s business. Republicants in both houses with the same problem. President Hugo Chavez. The (first) military coup in (Latin America) Honduras (since the Cold War “ended”.) The Israeli occupation. The Palestinian intifada. Chinese ownership of American debt. AIG. Swine Flu. Importing and exporting but not traveling to Cuba. Bo. Vice President Joe Biden. Vice President emeritus Richard Cheney. Guantanamo Bay. The war on terror, aka The Patriot Act. Islamic fundamentalism. Right to Life murder. Unhappy liberals. Gun control that doesn’t. Campaign pledges. 24-hour “news” cycles. Government transparency. National security. Leading the Democratic Party. Cross-over dribble. Quitting cigarettes. Date night with Michelle. Running General Motors. Leading the free world. Upholding American values. What are the President’s priorities?
The last six months have been a whirlwind of activity, elation, disappointment, history, frustration, action, words, spirit, and of life. It seems eons ago I stood with millions of Americans on the mall in Washington, D.C. to personally witness the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Simply typing the words, though, raises gooseflesh on my arms when I recollect the moment with gratitude, pride and hope for the better future of this country that my children will inherit.
I am of two minds about the first six months of his administration.
It seems perfect that when I turn on the television, click on to a website, check my twitter account, glance at a magazine cover, listen to the radio or download the weekly podcast from the President that Barack Obama is the face I see, the voice I hear, leading the country. While I am amazed that we elected a black man to the presidency, I am not surprised to see him there – striding across the lawn at the white house, sparring with the white house press corps during press conferences, meeting with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in the East Room, boarding Marine One, leading by example instead of secret fiat – he is supposed to be there, handling the business of leading the country.
On the other hand, the arbitrary back and forth, the spin on both sides of the debates, seem absolutely ordinary and business as usual, and the CHANGE we BELIEVE in seems awfully far away. The sixty democratic senators seem to think that they’re party affiliation and majority aren’t necessary for the President to enact an agenda to help the people of the United States. Al Franken is joining the Senate proclaiming his allegiance to Minnesota rather than the Democratic agenda for the United States. His provincial attitude is reflective of Republican Governor Mark Sanford’s denial of stimulus funds for his state because he was “against raising the federal deficit.” Both men missed the point. Their priorities are askew.
The President appears to be balancing his priorities pretty well. Democratic legislators, though, appear uncomfortable with the national validation of their agenda, with having the support throughout the country (reflected in the number of elected officials) to enact a public option on health care, to close Guantanamo, to pass the stimulus bill, to get clean energy going, to get us out of Iraq more quickly, and the list goes on . . .
We (the Democratic majority and its constituents) need to get behind the President, and start balancing Our priorities. Healthcare, Education, Equal Rights . . . stop letting the vocal minority frame the debate and distract from the purpose of government and governing . . . “to secure these rights . . . for the governed.” There need to be more Bernie Madoffs going to jail for ripping people off and taking taxpayer monies . . . let’s start with Henry Paulson. There needs to be a truth commission on torture and prosecutions from the first black Attorney General. The guilty should be punished, and the general welfare of the country should be promoted. I’m not about revenge. That’s not a priority. I am about justice and responsibility – that is.
