Obama Stumbles Out Of The Gate

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)

Post Election, But Not A Postmortem

Sometimes I forget that the entire reasoning behind this blog’s name, Matt’s Musings, is to allow me to contemplatively share with readers what is on my mind. I manage several other blogs and most of those are business-oriented – meaning I must do plenty of research before publishing by interviewing people, confirming and citing sources, and obtaining permission to republish photos, logos, etc. Thankfully, on this site I can let my remaining hairs down and just speak my mind!

Post-election, I have written one piece directly addressing the coming Obama regime and that article was crafted from a strictly Christian perspective for my WordJourney blog. The article has been good reminder for me because a number of times over the past few days I’ve been bothered by what I see coming down the pike for this country, stuff that tends to rattle my peace. The article serves as a reminder to me that God is my foundation and if the Rock on which I stand isn’t firmly in place, then there is no comfort and there is certainly no peace. Your comments have been an encouragement to me too.

Where I’ve Been; Where I’m Heading

I must share with you that I wasn’t quite sure what direction this blog would be taking over the coming months, given that all of my recent posts have been politically centered, with a focus on this year’s election. Part of me just wants to move on to discussing other subjects including business development, personal finance, marketing, SEO and other topics I’ve covered over the past year, but my heart just isn’t there right now. I’m still digesting the election results, planning my next course of action, and weighing the impact those changes might have on my freelance writing business, on my family, my home, etc.

But, I will tell you this: when I find the appropriate button to replace the McCain/Palin ad on this site, it’ll probably be something political as I will continue to raise my voice as long as the very breath of life is in me, joining a chorus of thousands of concerned citizens who want to make sure that Truth has her day!

Kudos to Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin remains very much on my mind lately – in my thoughts and prayers as she has been savaged royally, allegedly by McCain aids and other RINO (Republican In Name Only) people who see her correctly as an ongoing threat to their livelihood.

You know what? She is! No matter what the reason was for John McCain to choose her as his running mate – and we can debate several of those reasons without getting anywhere – her introduction to the American people ignited a fire. Conservatives love her because she is a strong reminder of Ronald Reagan, a man who was passionately for the American people, the real “yes we can!” politician who believed that all good things come from the citizenry and not from some elite political base astride the Potomac River.

On the other hand, there is an element of the population who despise her and, if you would permit me to put my finger on what I believe is really going on, I believe that there is a strong spiritual component going on as she represents truth, righteousness, love, compassion, forbearance and other works of the Spirit of God that are the antithesis of how they live their own lives.

Trig – yes, little Down’s Syndrome Trig — was the flash point of the campaign: his young life is an affront to many, especially those who embrace a culture of death. You could almost hear the whispers when her family was introduced with Trig quietly resting in his oldest sister’s embrace — “How could she give birth to that child?” “He isn’t normal!” “She should have had an abortion!!!”

From the start, those of us who love life and who understand that God gives and God takes away – knew that Sarah Palin represents so very much of what we believe: a woman of influence who would not sweep away for convenience’s sake the young life growing within her, even when that child was known to have special needs. Courageously, Todd and Sarah Palin stood tall on principle, a foundation of life that trusts their Maker for guidance and support. That, my friends, is what bothers the Palin-haters so much as she is a woman who puts the needs of others before her own ambition.

Giving Due Credit to Three People

Before I close, please allow me to mention three people who have offered much encouragement to me over the past several weeks, particularly as I covered the election. Likely, they aren’t even aware of their influence, but it has been there nonetheless:

Pat is a great-grandmother from California who frequently finds and sends to me some of the best articles online. We met on Stumble Upon and she has been quite active on Facebook. To my knowledge she doesn’t have a website or blog of her own, but she certainly knows her way around the internet.

Vlad is from the old USSR and is passionate about his new country. What is it about our newest (legal) citizens and their deep love for America? Freedom is the answer to that question as people like Vlad serve as a strong reminder to native born Americans that freedom isn’t free.

Dominique is from France and is also passionate about America. She is a big Mike Huckabee fan, hates the current U.S. Tax code and she packs heat! I credit (or blame) her for my recent spurt of political activism.

I appreciate everyone who stops by, shares a comment, or sends me a personal note. We’ve got our work cut out for us and the task at hand won’t be easy (gosh, I sound like Obama!) but we’ll persevere, making sure that our voices are raised and that our way of living isn’t trampled on by those whose agenda is to exert government control over every aspect of our lives.