I read today that his budget has more money in it for education than even education advocates had expected.
A good friend of mine today found out that even though she didn't keep COBRA when she lost her job, because she couldn't afford it (633 a month for an individual) she's still eligible for the 65% funding from the stimulus, and by law now has to be given another opportunity to join cobra. She told me that she had been having trouble sleeping, worried she was going to find a lump or something. She told me she didn't want to go to DC for the march on the pentagon. I told her, don't go. I'm not going.
This guy has the heart in the right place, and that means to me, that he doesn't dismiss the lives of brown people in other countries. I am going to give him a chance on IRaq and on Afghanistan. I am developing a growing trust in him and in his motives. It's not a blank check. But I'm going to give him a chance. I'm not going to protest this guy at this point.
For years I called bush fans, bushwhores. If someone called me an Obamawhore today, I'd say "that's right" and I'd follow it with a big smile.
I love the guy, and the only thing I do is hope every single day that he doesn't fuck up in Afghanistan, because i keep thinking of LBJ who was a great man in so many ways, but who killed his presidency, his legacy, and some of his great plans for this country, in Vietnam. And I hope every single day that they don't let fear of nationalizing the banks ruin everything either.
But right now, I want to enjoy these great feelings, and the idea that maybe, in fact, likely, we are standing at the dawn of a true new Progressive era. It's why I hardly post here anymore. I look around once in a while, and shake my head. This guy, and his policies have supermajority support. You come here and you see Libertarians claiming that their view is "the only mainstream position" I couldn't stop laughing over that one. How deluded do you have to be? And of course the usual ex-bushwores, so bitter, so desperate to believe that we'll fall into a depression so they can get back into power. So far out of where the mainstream is today. So over.
And you know what? They earned it. Boy, did they earn it. But we got through it, and now it got us to here. And I'm feeling really good about that right now.
As always good sister, I really appreciate your sincerity and depth. Your thoughts are always good balance for me.
I don't disagree with a single word of what you just said, and I agree that Obama has earned the respect and even adoration that he's given. I also agree that he has earned the necessary time to allow his policies to work before critics jump all over him. But even a critic like me gave him a "B" because I see many of the same things you do. I support the majority of what he's done thus far.
But I don't trust government .. which may seem odd to people who don't know anything about socialism. I believe in participatory government as defined in the Declaration of Independence .. which may seem odd to people who don't know anything about socialism. I believe that government and politicians must be pushed and the ultimate decision-makers in an effective democracy must always be the people.
"We the People" is socialism.
Obama could do a lot of things right and accomplish much of what you and I see as progressive and necessary .. and I'd still be pushing .. still be critical. If Jesus was the president, I'd still be pushing even though he also comes from our side of the political divide as Obama does .. because that's how I believe government should work. We spend too much time concentrated on what the other side is doing and far too little time concentrating on making our side better, stronger.
I believe universal/nationalized healthcare is critical for the American people and the future of this nation, and I believe it is attainable. The plight of your good friend is testament to just how critical this issue is. In spite of whatever Obama may do right, I'm going to keep pushing and critiquing his stance on healthcare until we get the real healthcare reform we need. We need healthcare reform, not tweaking.
And on that note I encourage you and your friend to join the fight to push the Obama Administration to support H.R. 676. Love him to death while you push him, but push him.
You hit the nail on the head with the example of LBJ, who without Vietnam, would be considered one of our greatest presidents. When Vietnam began to surface the left looked the other way because of the many other good things Johnson was doing. His "Great Society" is reminisent of the vision of Obama.
Does all the blame for Vietnam rest with LBJ, or should the Democratic Party and the left also be held accountable? It's the exact same question when it concerns Bush and the invasion of Iraq. Do republicans bear some responsibility?
My point is that in spite of the good things Obama does, and in spite of his good looks, beautiful family, his being highly educated and articulate, and him being the first African-American president .. in spite of all that, it's America and the future we create that comes first. Activism = citizenship my sister and your intelligence gives you purpose, it gives you power. But it also gives you responsibility for our environment, our society, our world, and our future .. and the only place that is written is in your spirtiuality. Its that thing that seperates you from them. This isn't anything you don't already know, but you are my sister, I simply remind you.
I'll join you in celebrating what Obama does well, if you join me in pushing for universal healthcare.
