Wise Words

Below  is a small excerpt from an op/ed piece written for CNN.  Julian Zelizer recalls the midterm elections for presidents Reagan and Clinton, and how each was able to bounce back from miserable polls.  As a Democrat frustrated by the lack of screaming and yelling coming from others in my party, I found  the words hopeful and rational.  I also think Mr. Zelizer is absolutely correct.


"But Obama must also do a better job at telling voters what he is about. While the president has a large legislative record to boast of, it remains unclear to many voters, including Democrats who support much of the record, what it all adds up to.

It's time for Obama to state his agenda and lay out a set of governing principles that will guide him in his next two years as president. It's likely that the pressure of the 2010 midterm elections will compel Obama to present an argument to the public to build a case for his presidency."

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian E. Zelizer.

Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. To read the complete article, click here:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/30/zelizer.obama.agenda/index.html?iref=allsearch

FAIL!

Sorry, Mr. President - but your speech tonight was lame.  Don't make me wish I'd voted for Hillary!

And Now They're Mad?

Christian Struzan, in a message to the tea party, penned these very insightful words.   He graciously granted permission for them to be posted here.  My thanks to him.

Christian is an artist living in LA. 

"YOU WANT TO GET MAD? We had eight years of Bush and Cheney, but now you get mad! You didn’t get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President. You didn’t get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy. You didn’t get mad when a covert CIA operative got ousted. You didn’t get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.. You didn’t get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us. You didn’t get mad when we spent over 600 billion(and counting) on said illegal war. You didn’t get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq. You didn’t get mad when you found out we were torturing people. You didn’t get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans. You didn’t get mad when we didn’t catch Bin Laden. You didn’t get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed. You didn’t get mad when we let a major US city drown. You didn’t get mad when we gave a 900 billion tax break to the rich. You didn’t get mad when, using reconciliation; a trillion dollars of our tax dollars were redirected to insurance companies for Medicare Advantage which cost over 20 percent more for basically the same services that Medicare provides. You didn’t get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark, and our debt hit the thirteen trillion dollar mark. You finally got mad when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all okay with you, but helping other Americans… oh hell no. AND NOW YOU’RE MAD !"

By: Christian Struzan

Those with similar views need to speak out  - LOUDLY and CLEARLY!  And NOW!

Words of Wisdom

I read with great interest John Avlon's special to CNN today.  His commentary (read on cnn.com) discusses 42nd President Bill Clinton's  policies, legacy and words of advice. 
The former president said this about the current incendiary language being used by right-wing extremists:  "There is a big difference between criticizing a policy or a politician and demonizing the government that guarantees our freedoms and the public servants who enforce our laws."

Mr. Avlon ends with these wise words:  "To see politics, we must view it with the broadest sense of perspective -- remembering that patriotism is ultimately more important than partisanship."

Great Quote

"The world is too small, our wisdom too limited, our time here too short,  to waste any more of it in winning fleeting victories at other people's expense. We have to now find a way to triumph together."

Bill Clinton

This great quote, found on an art site today, was in someone's signature block.  We need a lot more of this type of thinking.

One Year Ago

OK - I voted for Barack Obama because I believed he could get something done, could get us out of this terrible, horrible mess brought to these United States by noneother than Shrub, Cheney and the Bushies.  I STILL believe it.

What a difference a year makes.  Yes - there has been progress.  One year ago we were on the verge of the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression.  Check out the stock market for Pete's sake.  There's been great progress on a lot of things.  But who would know? 

Come on Dems - be proud of what you've done.  Be proud of CHIP, be proud of the Lily Ledbetter Act, be proud of Cash for Clunkers, be proud of the 1st time homeowner tax credit and a whole lot more!

A complete list of first year accomplishments is available on The White House website:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Here are just a few of them:

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009

Signed: Friday, October 30, 2009

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010

Signed: Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act

Signed: Thursday, October 22, 2009

Cash For Clunkers Extension

Signed: Thursday, August 6, 2009

Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

Signed: Monday, June 22, 2009

Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009

Signed: Friday, May 22, 2009

Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act

Signed: Friday, May 22, 2009

Helping Families Save Their Homes Act

Signed: Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act

Signed: Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

Signed: Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Omnibus Public Lands Management Act

Signed: Monday, March 30, 2009

Small Business Act Temporary Extension

Signed: Friday, March 2009