In his first year as President Barrack Obama lived up to everything his supporters hoped for, proving what he and his supporters always saidt he was -- a transformative president who was ready to be president from day one.And he proved it again by standing up to Republicans and refusing to allow off-shore drilling, standing by his committment to develop alternative energy sources.
In his first year, Obama fulfilled all the promise and displayed all the skills and integrity his supporters in the New York Times, MSNBC, the Nation, Michael Moore and many others said he would.
On healthcare reform, the most significant piece of legislation since the Civil Rights Act, Obama arm twisted and showed remarkable backbone in getting the signature component of health care reform, the public option, passed. Standing up to fierce Republican opposition, showing steely resolve in the face of lunatic conservative opponents who tried to portray him as Hitler, refusing to compromise or be intimidated,Obama said no to back room deals with lobbyists, instead staying the course on the public option, fending off every attack and recognizing that doing what was best for the American people was more important than compromise, bipartisanship, and politics. That is true leadership.
In a move LBJ would have greeted with grudging admiration, Obama threatened Joe Lieberman with losing his seniority and chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee if he made good his threat to filibuster the public option and then, showing why he was ready to be president from day one, instructed Harry Reid to use reconciliation to pass the bill back in June, saving a lot of angst and the political bloodletting that would have surely come had Obama not acted, as he likes to say, "swiftly and boldly" without regard to his own political standing.
He also proved proved he was the right one for the job and challenges of health care reform, when he refused to allow health insurance mandates, a part of Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan that Obama trashed all over the country during the primaries.
On jobs and the economy, he smartly refused to hand over $46 billion in tax payer money to GM to stave off bankruptcy correctly understanding that the best thing for GM was bankruptcy and reorganization. Showing why people call him a true visionairy Obama saved the tax payers $46 billion in a useless bailout. He also forced AIG to declare bankruptcy having none of the "too big to fail" nonsense, and used the sale of its assets to pay off its debts. The insurance policies held by AIG were auctioned off to other insurance companies who took the policies and in some cases divided them to share the risk. In the end it put AIG out of business, some feeling deservedly so given their recklessness in the derivative markets, and at the same time saved taxpayers tens of billions which Obama then plowed into job creation.
The money flowed fast as communities set up projects which went a long way in putting America back to work. And he insisted that government money taken by banks in a bailout be used to extend credit to individuals and businesses to get the economy moving. And it worked.
In the middle east, Obama's supporters which claimed that because he had a black father and African features he would be able to achieve foreign policy successes that others never could, were proved right again, leaving Obama's critics looking foolish, as both the Israelis and Palestinians praised Obama's ability to bring the two sides together and how having a black father caused them to trust him in ways they couldn't trust anyone else. The harmony brought about by Obama between the Israelis and Palestinians and his ability to make the Palestinians understand that Jerusalem belonged to Israel was in itself a testament to Obama's ability to unite people and proved to his supporters that he was everything he said he was.
But that wasnt all. In a decisive foreign policy test during the Iranian protests against what was clearly a rigged election, Obama, recognizing the opportunity for regime change with an avowed enemy of the United States, and with the Amadinejad government teetering, seized the moment and stood up to Ahmedinejad and supported the protesters fight for democracy showing the kind of leadership and backbone Americans want to see in their leaders. In deciding that supporting democratic principles and human rights was more important than having a talk with a mad man, Obama tilted the playing field in the direction of the protesters emboldening them and when the Revolutionary Guard refused to fire on their own people, Ahmadinejad was finished, thanks to Obama.
All in all it has been a year of great triumph, with Obama leaving his critics who said he lacked the experience, expertise and personal integrity to be president with egg on their faces. And it left everyone at the Nation, the New York Times, Associated Press, CNN and MSNBC and Michael Moore beaming with pride because Obama vindicated them.
He had the kind of first year as president that justified the belief of his supporters who said they felt goose bumps when he spoke, even when he reneged on a promise.
It was the kind of first year for a president that those who supported his candidacy can be forever proud and both Obama and is supporters can certainly say, "Mission Accomplished"!
April Fools.
In a move LBJ would have greeted with grudging admiration, Obama threatened Joe Lieberman with losing his seniority and chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee if he made good his threat to filibuster the public option and then, showing why he was ready to be president from day one, instructed Harry Reid to use reconciliation to pass the bill back in June, saving a lot of angst and the political bloodletting that would have surely come had Obama not acted, as he likes to say, "swiftly and boldly" without regard to his own political standing.
He also proved proved he was the right one for the job and challenges of health care reform, when he refused to allow health insurance mandates, a part of Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan that Obama trashed all over the country during the primaries.
On jobs and the economy, he smartly refused to hand over $46 billion in tax payer money to GM to stave off bankruptcy correctly understanding that the best thing for GM was bankruptcy and reorganization. Showing why people call him a true visionairy Obama saved the tax payers $46 billion in a useless bailout. He also forced AIG to declare bankruptcy having none of the "too big to fail" nonsense, and used the sale of its assets to pay off its debts. The insurance policies held by AIG were auctioned off to other insurance companies who took the policies and in some cases divided them to share the risk. In the end it put AIG out of business, some feeling deservedly so given their recklessness in the derivative markets, and at the same time saved taxpayers tens of billions which Obama then plowed into job creation.
The money flowed fast as communities set up projects which went a long way in putting America back to work. And he insisted that government money taken by banks in a bailout be used to extend credit to individuals and businesses to get the economy moving. And it worked.
In the middle east, Obama's supporters which claimed that because he had a black father and African features he would be able to achieve foreign policy successes that others never could, were proved right again, leaving Obama's critics looking foolish, as both the Israelis and Palestinians praised Obama's ability to bring the two sides together and how having a black father caused them to trust him in ways they couldn't trust anyone else. The harmony brought about by Obama between the Israelis and Palestinians and his ability to make the Palestinians understand that Jerusalem belonged to Israel was in itself a testament to Obama's ability to unite people and proved to his supporters that he was everything he said he was.
But that wasnt all. In a decisive foreign policy test during the Iranian protests against what was clearly a rigged election, Obama, recognizing the opportunity for regime change with an avowed enemy of the United States, and with the Amadinejad government teetering, seized the moment and stood up to Ahmedinejad and supported the protesters fight for democracy showing the kind of leadership and backbone Americans want to see in their leaders. In deciding that supporting democratic principles and human rights was more important than having a talk with a mad man, Obama tilted the playing field in the direction of the protesters emboldening them and when the Revolutionary Guard refused to fire on their own people, Ahmadinejad was finished, thanks to Obama.
All in all it has been a year of great triumph, with Obama leaving his critics who said he lacked the experience, expertise and personal integrity to be president with egg on their faces. And it left everyone at the Nation, the New York Times, Associated Press, CNN and MSNBC and Michael Moore beaming with pride because Obama vindicated them.
He had the kind of first year as president that justified the belief of his supporters who said they felt goose bumps when he spoke, even when he reneged on a promise.
It was the kind of first year for a president that those who supported his candidacy can be forever proud and both Obama and is supporters can certainly say, "Mission Accomplished"!
April Fools.
NOTE: The Republican Party also ran an April Fools ad on their web site making fun of Obama's first year. The problem is the Republicans making fun of anyone's lack of accomplishment is like General Custer making fun of the the Souix's war dance.
Your columns are absolutely the most accurate and insightful; an antidote to so much (e.g., MSM, Obot blogs, conservative blogs.) With more exposure, you could be President (but then you'd change.)
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