The House Takes A Break

ObamaCare is designed to crowd out private insurers which means that the entire American populace will eventually be under the federal plan. In a bid to contain costs, the federal government will ration care, which means that if you're sick or old, you'll be choosing a casket instead of getting a much needed medical referral.

Because various versions of the bill are being debated and congressional committees are routinely adding, subtracting or amending what is in the bill, I doubt that there are many people who understand exactly what is being proposed. Fortunately, members of the House of Representatives are now on summer break and won’t be back in action until September 8th (with the Senate joining them this Friday). This will make for a very good opportunity for Americans to show up at townhall meetings in August to voice their opinions though I’m sure that many House members will find a way to avoid facing their angry constituents if they can.

This past weekend, members of Obama’s team fanned out to speak on the Sunday talk shows with Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, leading the charge where he stated that new taxes on the middle class were a possibility.

“I think that what the country needs to do is understand we’re going to have to do what it takes,” said Secretary Geithner when asked if he could rule out raising taxes on Americans earning less that $250 thousand a year, while simultaneously trying to cut the deficit. “We’re going to do what’s necessary.”

The Obama administration backed off from Geithner’s comments on Monday stating, “The president has made a very clear commitment to not raise taxes on middle-class families,” clarified White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. With Congress trying to shove health care “reform” through and with even a hint of their taxes being increased, Americans remain doubtful that the White House is being honest with them.

Fed Care Squeezes Out Private Care

But it was House Minority Leader John Boehner’s comments from last week which didn’t reported by the mainstream media that has a lot of people talking. CNSNews reported that Boehner sees that private health care will be allowed to die over time:

“I think it’s pretty clear that the government-run program that they want is going to eventually crowd out the private sector, and secondly, in their bill it says that after five years, you can’t go out and buy a health insurance policy on your own,” Boehner said.

“You have to go to one of their government exchanges to buy a plan that was designed by the government,” he added. “So it’s pretty clear that we’re going to have a big government-run system that will eventually drive out the private sector plans we have today.”

Even though I’ve heard “2013″ as the year when the new plan kicks in, if it passes Congress and is signed into law by the president this fall, then by next Spring I think we’ll already see a much different health insurance landscape in play. Specifically, knowing that they’ll eventually be forced out of business, insurance companies will probably not take new customers and begin to wind down their businesses, necessitating that the federal government step in with their own insurance.

No Choice Five Years Out

Government insurance will be cheaper than what the private carriers can offer, but as Boehner noted, you won’t have a choice after five years anyway.  You’ll have to sign on with a federally crafted plan which I believe by that time will completely replace private insurance altogether.

And with a plan costing one trillion dollars up front and trillions of dollars more down the line, the federal government will impose strict guidelines on the “care” that you will receive in a bid to control costs. That means cancer patients, the elderly, and anyone else who doesn’t fit into the government’s ‘wellness’ criteria will soon learn that ObamaCare is a plan that has truly been hatched in hell.

See Also — Read The Bill: Ya Think?!

ObamaCare And Your Life

However, I’m finding that the debate on the proposed national health care plan is something that I cannot let pass by as the ramifications for my family personally and for our nation corporately will likely be felt for many years.

For the record, I certainly believe that health care reform is critically important, but if you’ve followed some of my postings on SayEducate.com this week, then you know that I think reform begins with fixing what we have first before expanding the system.

I’m not looking to debate the health care plan as I am finding it difficult to gather accurate information about what exactly is being proposed. I know that some people, including Peter Fleckenstein, have gotten a hold of the bill and are digging through it for the rest of us, but I’m also learning that the bill itself is constantly changing.

Congress Takes A Break

Maybe it is a good thing that Congress is about to start their August recess — we’ll have plenty of time to examine the 1017 page health bill which our elected officials seem unwilling to do. But that is the point of this article — Congress isn’t reading this bill nor are they reading many of the other bills being rushed through and put on the president’s desk for his signature. This is appalling — many of our congressmen and senators are lawyers; who ever heard of an attorney not reading everything with a fine tooth comb first?!

It seems that I’m not the only one who is perplexed by this practice with one organization, the Sunlight Foundation, doing something about it. Specifically, the Sunlight Foundation created a website called, ReadThe Bill.org, which is championing a bill — H.Res.504 — from Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) which will require legislation being voted on in the House to be available online for 72 hours prior to debate.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

This Congress is considering trillions of dollars in new spending and isn’t even taking the time to read most of what they’re getting. For some reason, and I’m sure we can all offer our own ideas, Congress thinks that they have to rush through whatever is put before them without taking the time to find out what they’re voting on.

I say, let’s make our Congress slow down and consider each bill first while giving the citizenry a chance to review the proposed legislation too. A 72 hour posting period to the internet is extremely fair and is actually 48 hours shorter than what President Obama promised on June 22, 2007:

Fair enough! But we’ll settle for three days, Mr. President, if you encourage Congress to support Rep. Brian Baird’s bill and sign it into law.

I’m bracing myself because in just a few hours our children will be home from school, having completed their school year. Yes, here in the United States most students follow a traditional school calendar where they start in August or September and continue on through until the following May or June. Our kids will have a ten week break, but it won’t be all fun and games — they’ll attend various camps and we’ll take a brief family trip at some point.

This school year has been a bit of a challenge, not so much for our children (we have two boys)  who did very well, but because of all of the tension surrounding schooling.  Our children are in public school and it seems that this year we saw how challenging of an environment it can be especially as new state teaching mandates kicked in and as funding for some of the required programs dried up.

…No More Teacher’s Dirty Looks

School's out for summer! And with it all of the burdens of the past year.

As the economy has taken a slide so has the school district’s budget and it is beginning to show.  For the upcoming academic year the school board may shave five days off of the calendar in order to balance the budget, dropping the school year from 180 to 175 days.  In addition, class size may grow as hiring and spending freezes mean that current faculty will be required to do more for less money even as thousands of new students flow into our 140,000+ pupil countywide school district.

This also means that a number of teachers will be leaving, having burned out because they are being asked to take on more responsibilities while shouldering pay cuts. Moreover, those teachers who do remain and are tenured will have a job, but they may be reassigned to another school, a bad habit of the Wake County Public School System which often does the same thing to children — reassign them to another school.

Speaking about reassignment, when the school board proposed sending our neighborhood children to a new school some eighteen miles away (45 minute bus ride) from our home beginning in 2010, parents banded together and told them we weren’t sending our kids that far away. This is a mostly suburban school district meaning that there are plenty of schools closer to our neighborhood than the new one. Thankfully, the board reversed themselves and will not reassign our children, at least for now.

So Where Is The Obama Money?

Perhaps most shocking to some teachers, particularly those who voted for Barack Obama this past fall, is that the promised federal money set aside for the school district hasn’t come in yet. But, when it does arrive it’ll be used to build new schools, not directed toward raising teaching standards nor will it be used to actually educate our children. Huh?!

I’m not saying that some teachers are having buyer’s remorse when it comes to the presidential election but when your school district is being hammered financially and the president is promising to send billions of dollars your way, then cutbacks seem to make no sense at all.

The Alice Cooper Approach

I know that I’m dating myself, but when I was in high school, Alice Cooper released a song titled, “School’s Out For Summer!” which ended up becoming a classical anthem for disaffected students.  Mr. Cooper (yes, he is a guy) had a rebellious attitude, one that I readily embraced at that time, a decision which adversely affected my grades. Of course, I certainly hope my children don’t follow me down that rebellious path!

But, as much as so many good (and bad) lessons are learned while in school, some are not. Many years later, Alice (Vincent Damon Furnier) began to follow Jesus Christ, a path I also chose to take not too many years after Cooper’s 1972 hit was released. What does this have to do with school being out? Not much, but it does have a lot to do with God laying hold of lives and changing them for His good despite decisions we make which can ultimately bring us so much harm.

Photo Credit: Steve Woods

GM CEO Rick Wagoner Resigns

Although the president announced that GM President/CEO Rick Wagoner had resigned on Monday morning, I knew over the weekend that he was already out. Indeed, one of Obama’s representatives asked for and received his resignation on Friday and by Sunday I saw that Automotive News had already shared that information with its readers.

Quite a few people have expressed dismay that the federal government has intervened in such a way with a public company, particularly by ousting the boss. Under normal circumstances I would have been appalled, but these conditions are far from normal.

Last fall, when the chairmen of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors appeared before Congress asking for federal support, I saw what was on the horizon: any funds received by the automakers would come with strings attached. After all, the money they would be getting would be from taxpayers, which is you and me.

Ford Management Must Be Grateful

Just as 2008 was drawing to a close and with the Bush administration three weeks away from ceding the White House to Barack Obama, loans for GM and Chrysler were approved while Ford’s request for a line of credit was denied. That denial was the best thing to happen to the Blue Oval as Ford has managed to stand to the side as all of the attention (mostly negative) has been focused on GM and Chrysler.

I have to think that there are a group of executives in Dearborn who are immensely grateful that George W. Bush ignored Ford’s request as that move has allowed the company to move forward without government oversight. Ford’s condition isn’t as dire at its domestic competitors, although if the market stays down for several more months, that could all change. Meanwhile, Ford is basking in the limelight as being the only solvent major U.S. automaker.

GM, Chrysler Buy Some Time

February 17th was the deadline for GM and Chrysler to get their restructuring plans to DC who promised to make a decision by March 31st regarding their respective fates. At yesterday’s news conference we learned that both companies have gained a little extra time, but with additional strings (more like ropes) attached.

Chrysler is expected to pursue its alliance with Fiat and must come to terms within thirty days to accomplish that feat. In the interim, Chrysler will receive some funding to stay alive and if the other parameters are met, then additional funding will come forth.

General Motors is expected to continue to negotiate with the United Auto Workers (UAW) to gain additional concessions while pressuring bondholders to do the same. The president remarked that GM (and Chrysler) had fallen short in their restructuring efforts and would be given sixty days to complete the process. Likely, several brands will be shuttered including Saturn and Hummer, possibly Saab and Pontiac too.

Restructure or Face Bankruptcy

Should either company fail to restructure, they’ll be forced into bankruptcy by the federal government. The president indicated that neither company would languish in that state for years, instead they’ll most likely be required to make rapid changes in a bid to quickly emerge leaner and smaller than before.

The United Auto Workers probably had a lot of say in how Obama proceeded on Monday, given the president’s strong union support in Election 2008. The United Auto Workers has made quite a few concessions of late, including the closure of the widely-panned JOBS program which gave workers full pay and benefits in lieu of layoffs. However, wage levels for union workers are still above what Toyota, Nissan and Honda pay their domestic workforce, a disadvantage the Big Three have pointed to for many years.

Guaranteeing Car Warranties

Besides UAW and GM bondholder concessions, the federal government has agreed to back new car warranties for GM and Chrysler, but not Ford.  What this means is that if either Chrysler or GM does go through bankruptcy, then the federal government will pay for repairs on these vehicles. That move is meant to instill confidence in the two companies, encouraging hesitant consumers to make a purchase.

I believe we’ve only seen a portion of what is coming forth for GM and Chrysler, with the next 30-60 day period telling us much. A case could be made that the federal government shares some of the blame for the auto industry’s woes especially given the safety, fuel economy and pollution mandates that have saddled each company for decades.

Restructure Chrysler and GM or Die

But, restructuring could be the best thing for both companies as without it, neither could possibly survive. I am not thrilled that GM could end up becoming Government Motors when all is said and done, given the tens of billions of taxpayer dollars pouring into the company. How far the Obama administration goes in dictating what products GM will build is not known right now, but I would hate to see that responsibility shift from the automaker to DC.

I have never been confident that Chrysler could continue to survive an an independent entity even when Cerberus Capital Management L.P. acquired an 80.1% share in the automaker in 2007 (Daimler AG holds the remaining 19.9%).  Thus, its alliance with Fiat is its only hope of survival, giving the company the opportunity to bolster its fleet with small cars while ceding 35% of it to the Italian automaker.

When all is said and done, the automotive landscape will likely be radically changed. If Ford can hang on, there is a good chance they’ll pass GM as the largest domestic producer of automobiles, with Toyota right behind them. The UAW will lose some of its bite, bondholders will see their investments shrink and as far as us beleaguered taxpayers go, we may or may not see a return on our investments.

Related Reading: Reluctantly, GM Chief Steps Down

Clearly, these are interesting times. Interesting as in weird.

Obamaism v. Nazism

People get angry when any sort of parallel with Hitler’s Germany is offered when mentioning Barack Obama and his magnetic appeal to the masses, but I cannot help but see them. Well before Germany’s turn to national fascism (Nazism) the country was a fractured, but rising power which came together in 1871 to form what historians call the German Empire.

Stretching from France to Russia, the new German state was an industrial powerhouse with Chancellor Otto von Bismarck holding sway until 1890, a man widely credited with rolling out national health care and old-age insurance plans during the 1880s. The country was also fairly tolerant to foreigners, including Jews, whose numbers topped 500,000 as the Nazis rose to power.

When Adolf Hitler took office he unified a defeated, demoralized country which was still reeling from its humiliating loss in The Great War (World War I) fifteen years earlier. Hitler was instrumental in imposing “Gleichschaltung” which was a way of getting rid of individualism in favor of have people adhere to a unified way of thinking, in order to exert totalitarian control over the masses.

A Successful Grassroots Campaign

People rightfully credit Barack Obama’s grassroots organizing campaign for his victory last fall. Certainly, the collapse of the economy ensured his triumph, one that was threatened when Sarah Palin emerged as John McCain’s veep choice just weeks earlier. Obama immediately blamed Bush for the country’s economic woes, easily associating McCain with the sitting president’s policies.

The organization that Obama established was called Obama For America (OFA), with millions of Americans giving their financial support (and email addresses) in a bid to form a strong base. In January, Obama took the unusual step to encourage the organization to continue, renaming it Organizing for America, keeping the trademark campaign logo and tasking its members to help transform American society.

Run By The Democrat National Committee

Specifically, the OFA is a political group run by the Democrat National Committee tasked with supporting and advancing the Obama legislative agenda. Now, I’ve learned that the OFA has mobilized its members to go door to door in a bid to sell the president’s health care, energy and education agendas to the American people. That first campaign launched this past weekend; we weren’t home so I don’t know if we were paid a personal visit or not.

I don’t have a problem with people campaigning, obtaining signatures for a petition, asking for financial support, etc. If the OFA wants to do that, it is within their rights unless local laws forbid door to door solicitations.

What I don’t like is that this campaign is under the OFA umbrella, a DNC group with a clear political agenda, one which I do not support. While campaigning, Obama rightfully took George W. Bush to task for spending hundreds of billions of dollars and running up our national debt but is hypocritically spending trillions more himself in a bid to implement his plan for America. Our country is being hit with a social agenda contrary to what many Americans believe in while burdening us with a level of debt that won’t easily go away.

What are those parallels to Nazism that I see with Obama devotees? It is their blind support for a charismatic leader who has stumbled early and often as he attempts to lead this nation. If people can support initiatives that promote abortion, increase spending, attack free enterprise and push an undefined social agenda without question, then those seeds will take root, changes which will mold America much in the way that Germany was reshaped prior to the second world war.

The resistance against Barack Obama's radical agenda has begun. Seeds of discontent have been planted by Americans of a variety of political stripes, backgrounds, religions, ethnic groups, etc.

Its the 1960s all over again. Well, not exactly. There won’t be flower children frolicking through the meadows and cannabis won’t help people to turn on and tune out – at least for the fair minded among us.

Instead, I believe we have the makings of an American revolution of sorts on our hands, one that will seek to repudiate the policies of the Obama administration and our free wheeling, deal-a-day Congress. Policies that are bringing unbridled government spending our way, stem cell research involving aborted babies, reset button diplomacy, you name it.

And it won’t be something embraced entirely by conservatives – the seeds of disobedience will be sown by Americans of varying political stripes, except those from the far left fringe.

Two articles I read within the past few weeks have convinced me that change is on its way, but not the change that candidate Barack Obama espoused. Instead, this sort of occurrence is one that ordinary Americans will be bringing about one citizen at a time, perhaps over a lengthy period of time at that.

But change is coming.

Robert L. Dilenschneider shared some poignant thoughts about power in his article titled, “How to Be More Powerful Without Putting People Off,” which appeared in a February 2008 issue of Bottom Line / Personal. What stood out for me was this statement: “True power is not the same as running roughshod over other people or getting ahead at any cost. This form of power is temporary. People see through it and look for ways to undermine it.”

Ah, yes! Dictatorial power is always destined to fail, because as soon as it rears its head up the resistance begins. In our nation’s early days, before independence was declared, weary taxpayers rebelled against the British system by staging a tea party in Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation.

It was a long struggle for colonialists who had nothing to lose, but everything to gain including their freedom. Britain wanted to exert its authority over a faraway land while Obama today wants to roll out his radical agenda on a sleeping American populace.

Unfortunately for the president, people are beginning to wake up from their slumber.

Michelle Malkin published the other piece which got my attention: “Going Galt”: America’s Wealth Producers vs. Wealth Redistributors. Malkin cited the character John Galt in Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” novel where Galt led the entrepreneurial class to to cease productive activities in order to starve the government of revenue. That sort of thing is happening right now as small business owners — who are the target of Obama’s pending tax increase on the “wealthy” — have decided enough is enough.

The Obama tax increase will hit businesses who pull in at least $250,000 annually, even if the owners take out just a fraction of the funds for themselves. Plundering the “haves” to aid the “have nots” sounds like a Robin Hood scheme, but that is what happens in a fairy tale — America is not some sort of social experiment playground.

I cannot say for sure how everything will come down, but I know it’ll be an individual movement first followed by a grassroots campaign that will openly challenge Obama. Small business owners, concerned citizens, young families, middle aged managers, retirees and the aged will be among those pushing back, people who understand that the radical transformation unfolding for America is something that they do not want nor can the nation afford if it is to survive as the land of the free.

Photo Credit: David Jouppi

Uncertainty adversely impacts consumer spending, however could pent-up demand bring a quick end to the current recession?

My entire business hinges on how well or poorly the economy is faring. Not so much that my work is dependent on how well Wall Street is performing, rather my writings often reflect the prevailing mood of the consumer and the investor. And, over the past few months that mood has been quite grim.

Honestly, there are times I would prefer to write on lighter topics such as human interest stories or perhaps an enrichingly descriptive nature story where I can go wild with collective nouns such as those describing a sedge of herons or a scourge of mosquitoes, etc. I don’t pretend to have the talents of a Charles Dickens or a C.S. Lewis nor do I have the financial resources to sustain me to bring a book to publication.

I’ll stick with what pays the bills and at this point in my life it is business writing that meets my needs.

The Unfolding Stimulus Package

I’ve made quite a few comments lately regarding the economic stimulus package currently winding its way through Congress and I know that opinions are divided as to its usefulness. While it appears that support for the bill is split among party lines, I believe that there is an undercurrent sweeping through the nation where the average citizen seems to be very uncomfortable with what is going on in Washington, DC.

I’m not going to suggest that there is open revolt pending, but what I am sensing — thanks to what I read and as a result of conversations with friends and neighbors — is that even some of the most diehard liberals are worried what this debt will do to our country. $900 billion added to the $700 billion TARP (Toxic Assets Relief Program) plus whatever else is coming down the pike is something hard to fathom. Moreover, how can it possibly be paid off?

Bequeathing Debt To Future Generations

Worse, is what effect an increased debt level will have on future generations: will our children and grandchildren be forced to pay down what we owe via a heavier tax burden? I don’t think anybody knows how things will play out, but the discomfort remains. And, when people are not comfortable they are also uncertain — the type of consumer who puts off making major purchases as long as possible.

A Ray Of Light

Gloominess aside, I do see some light shining through the darkness which I believe suggests that the current downturn may soon be over.

Call me crazy, but there was a spike in housing sales in December and when auto sales fall to historic low figures, then a rebound can’t be far off.  Housing and car sales are the two biggest consumer ticket items and when one or both begin to pick up, the impact is felt throughout the economy. Right now, automakers are offering the biggest discounts in memory and I believe that consumers who have been putting off buying a new car will get in while the getting in is good.

I also have the benefit of an article which appeared recently in The Wall Street Journal to give me some encouragement. Justin Lahart has been reporting about the recession for the WSJ and in his most recent piece, Pent-Up Demand Could Quickly Pull Economy Out of Its Hole (February 9, 2009; A2), he points to the short-lived recession of 1980 as an example of one downturn that was over quickly.

Pent-Up Demand To End The Recession?

Lahart’s argument is that pent-up demand fueled the end of that recession as consumers who had been putting off their purchases jumped back in when government induced credit controls were abandoned. Today, we have market induced credit controls in place which, when also lifted, could quickly end this current downturn.

As much as I hated the TARP bail out and have a big problem with the current faux stimulus package, there may be enough cash in there to free up credit to get consumers to spend again. Should that happen, we could begin to see visible relief by this summer as housing sales increase and new car sales do the same. In both situations, job loss would stop and hiring would begin anew.

A Brief Recovery Followed By A Deeper Recession

Of course, one of the lessons of the recovery following the 1980 recession is that it, too, was short-lived. According to Lahart, rampant inflation and and overdependence on a declining manufacturing base brought about a longer, more sustained recession by mid-1981. Yes, it was that very same recession I remember all to well, one that erased the gains of the 1980 recovery in short order.

Inasmuch as I believe that we could see daylight within the next few months, our debt burden may keep this recovery short and sweet too. For the person who has excellent credit and wants to buy a home or a new car, a brief window of opportunity is open, one that could come crashing shut when the effects of the multiple trillion dollar spending spree kicks in.

I apologize for a mixed news narrative, but in these challenging times it is best that we remain vigilant, making the right decisions in order to stay afloat. But, don’t put away the anchor just yet — the tide may change fast with this recovery.

I’ve been keeping my senses tuned to what is going on here in the US of A, particularly as it pertains to our 44th president, Barack Obama. With great fanfare he was inaugurated, ushered into the White House, and basked in all the adulation sent his way.

In some ways his election was a statement maker, proving to America as well as to the world that just about anyone can become president. In countries where deep racial division has been going on for centuries, America offers hope that they, too, can overcome.

Neither Presidential Candidate Was Particularly Strong

But, we’ve also witnessed one of the worst presidential races in the history of our country. The Republican candidate, John McCain, was clearly not a conservative, rather an admired war hero who managed to win his party’s nomination through determination and tenacity belying his age.

The Democratic candidate was, of course, Barack Obama who stole victory out of the jaws of defeat by knocking off the champion — the unbeatable Hillary Clinton — while gaining plenty of help from mainstream media types who hyped his candidacy while refusing to properly vet him.

Never mind that the public was enamored with his smooth, silky baritone voice, a major oratorical improvement over the standing president, George W. Bush. Add in years of racial guilt, an ultra liberal agenda and disgust with “D.C. politics as usual” and Obama’s ascendancy was all but assured.

Is Obama In Over His Head?

As I observe what has transpired since inauguration day, I have gradually come to the conclusion that President Obama is in over his head. I’m not saying that he isn’t fit to be president (okay, he is a novice), but his worldview is getting in the way with him getting things done.

When he campaigned, Obama promised Americans that it would not be business as usual when it came to politics. That promise gradually lost its glow as one after another Clinton appointee was chosen by The One. And, some of those appointments have been real doozies.

Fab Five? I Don’t Think So!

There have been quite a number of people appointed by the president to various cabinet, staff and ancillary positions. Out of all of these people considered, I found five who seem to be poor fits particularly based on Obama’s promise to change things in Washington, DC:

Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, was appointed as Commerce Secretary in early December, a post he had to back down from one month later due to a personal revelation about some improper business dealings in his home state.

Timothy Geithner, who was recently confirmed by the Senate (what were they thinking?!) as head of the U.S. Treasury, failed to pay medicaid and income taxes for many years. Outrageously, he is now in charge of the very same taxing authority, the I.R.S., whose duty is to enforce our federal taxation system.

Eric Holder was recently confirmed as the Attorney General and has a history that is, well, a bit far to the left. He was grilled (not too thoroughly) by the Senate over his last minute Clinton administration pardons of a tax cheat, Marc Rich, and 16 Puerto Rican terrorists. Never mind his views on the Patriot Act, Gitmo and the so-called “torture” of people who would do us much harm if given the chance.

Nancy Killefer was a nominee for the all-new position of Chief Performance Officer, a job where the incumbent is tasked with overseeing federal budget and government reform. Unfortunately for her, Killefer’s own finances needed a lot of reform when “unspecified tax issues” scuttled her bid.

Tom Daschle, who was targeted and tossed by Republicans in his 2004 U.S. Senate seat for obstructing Bush policies, was appointed as Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, but had to back down when revelation of his own tax problems began to surface. Obama admitted that the Daschle appointment was a mistake, taking full responsibility for his choice.

I’ve only listed five of the controversial Obama appointments, two of whom are now serving in their confirmed positions. There are other people in the president’s administration who give credence to the statement, “…when it comes to Washington politics, it is busy as usual for President Obama.”

Should We Be Surprised?

Not one of these choices (and subsequent appointments or retractions) should come as a surprise to anyone as just like the president himself, many were not properly vetted.

Add in the ongoing financial crisis besetting our country and the pork-filled “stimulus” bill about to be approved by Congress and signed into law by the president (against growing discomfort from Americans of all political stripes) and what we’re witnessing is a president who just doesn’t seem to be moving with confidence through his first few weeks in office.

Your thoughts?

Related Reading

Obama: “Government Is Our Only Hope” (Political Conservatives)

Obama’s Superbowl Performance (The Black Sphere)

The Impending Obama Meltdown (National Review Online)

The Stimulus Package That Isn’t (MyTake)

That being said, where the heck did January go?

Yes, we still have this week left, but come Sunday it will be February 1st, the start of the shortest month of the year. Forget Groundhog Day next Monday — that fat rodent will stay underground if he knows what is good for him. It has been too cold, too snowy and much too wintry these past two months for anyone to bother with him. Let sleeping woodchucks rest…Spring will arrive when it does.

Newsprint, Gotta Love It

One month ago I started my home subscription to The Wall Street Journal, (WSJ) an invaluable tool useful for my work. As much as half of my writing work covers business related topics, so having this particular newspaper available helps me out. I also get the online version, but I’m much more likely to scan the newsprint.

If I wasn’t the type of person who put his cares in God’s hands, then what I regularly read in the WSJ, hear on the news, find online, or watch on the television would freak me out. Most definitely, the news is gloomy notwithstanding the inauguration of a new president for these United States.

Personally, I think too many people have put their trust in the hands of a mere mortal, expecting Barack Obama to perform miracles with the economy. My take on things is that we’re going to see things get much worse through the Spring months before we near Summer. Corporations will be taking a close look at their January and February sales numbers and slash personnel accordingly; if the markets remain freaked out then credit will be difficult to obtain for much of 2009 too. Yikes.

Taking A Look Elsewhere

Of course, not all of the news is bad, especially when it comes to the wonderful world of the blogosphere. I’ve been keeping myself informed, even entertained by perusing several blogs since the beginning of the year, weblogs worth your visit too:

• Anthony Kirlew launched a new site, one that he has called Recession Proof Tactics. As the name suggests, he offers some solid tips on how to cope with these tough times, with helpful advice such as 18 Strategies to Recession Proof Your Business. Keep up the good work, Anthony!

• For conservative news lovers, you must check out The Black Sphere, an excellent and very entertaining site written by Kevin Jackson.  Kevin represents a solid core of conservative black Americans, people who aren’t Obamatically attracted to the new POTUS who happens to be halfway between white and black (or has that conveniently been forgotten? More importantly: who cares?) Check out Kevin’s piece about Nancy “Margaret Sanger” Pelosi — Pelosi’s Rascist Agenda?

• Karen Zemek pens a blog about her late, beloved father, Harry Arlettaz, that she calls — My Funny Dad, Harry. I discovered her site (and so many others) via Entrecard and from time to time I stop by long enough to read what she has written. I like (and agree with) Harry’s Commentary on Abortion — I, too, distinguish things in life like Harry did. Karen even wrote a book about her father (same title as her blog), a tribute to someone she loves and misses.

That’s it for today…I hope that you visit each site and come away with something to encourage you as you go through your week. And, no, that isn’t me flying through the air, but it sure looks like a lot of fun!

Photo Credit: Benjamin Earwicker

President Obama campaigned on a message of hope and change, promising to bring an end to partisan sniping while giving Americans something to believe in.

I’m amazed at how quickly change has come to the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov where a new, crisp design and easy to read pages have already replaced the previous rendition. Clearly, President Obama’s communication team is top notch, delivering to us a site that is detailed and easy to navigate.

But, I’m also concerned that some of the tone on the site is anything but gracious, where at least one topic, Katrina, demonstrates that Mr. Obama isn’t looking forward as he has often promised to do (italics mine):

President Obama will keep the broken promises made by President Bush to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. He and Vice President Biden will take steps to ensure that the federal government will never again allow such catastrophic failures in emergency planning and response to occur.

President Obama swiftly responded to Hurricane Katrina. Citing the Bush Administration’s “unconscionable ineptitude” in responding to Hurricane Katrina, then-Senator Obama introduced legislation requiring disaster planners to take into account the specific needs of low-income hurricane victims. Obama visited thousands of Hurricane survivors in the Houston Convention Center and later took three more trips to the region. He worked with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to introduce legislation to address the immediate income, employment, business, and housing needs of Gulf Coast communities.

President Barack Obama will partner with the people of the Gulf Coast to rebuild now, stronger than ever.

Mr. Obama’s commitment to New Orleans is laudable, but certainly he should take a page out of the Bush playbook by looking forward, not back — isn’t that what hope does? Whether you agree with Mr. Bush’s policies or not, one thing the 43rd president didn’t do while he was in command was to dredge up the many failings of the Clinton Administration, the Marc Rich pardon being one of the most glaring of them.

Right now I am surfing the White House site, gaining a clearer picture of the direction that President Obama wants to take the nation. However things should unfold, I certainly hope that his “change has come” message includes a level of civility that brings Americans together, not divides us.

Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House, is the person behind the new site and the blog — let’s hope that he pays close attention to every memo from his boss encouraging civil discourse. That, my friends, would be a change for the better.