OBAMA'S INEXPERIENCE MISCUES
Faced with a horrendous legacy of the George W. Bush years, President Barack Obama has done a remarkable job of righting the ship in many ways. He appears to have turned around the financial abyss that Bush left him. He is hastening the exit from our illegal war in Iraq. He is trying to overcome the myriad mistakes that Bush made early in the war in Afghanistan when defeating the terrorists was a real possibility, as was capturing bin Laden in Torah Borah. And he certainly has regained respect for the U.S. and re-built trust among the world's nations.
However he never should have allowed Congress to take the initial steps in health care reform. He should have laid out a reform plan and presented it to the Congressional leadership. Instead, every screwball in America has weighed in from the beginning with crackpot ideas, lies, lies, lies, distortion, ridiculous proposals, and all this wasted time has now seen a hodge-podge of legislation proposals that has confused everybody. The Republicans were determined to defeat ANY health care reform proposals that the Democrats introduced. It is a shell game being played by the right-wing. No matter how conciliatory the reform is proposed, the Republicans will simply move the goal posts.
In a somewhat lesser vein, the President, through his Surgeon-General, should have laid out a plan of action early for this school year concerning the swine flu epidemic that will probably hit the U.S. Instead, we hear from several federal departments, a wide spectrum of suggestions from private physicians, academics, etc. about what to do. The program regarding swine flu is rudderless. The President takes some blame for not having his Surgeon-General out front on this. Now, finally, the Surgeon-General has chimed in with some "leadership."
Health care reform is absolutely necessary. The poor and lower middle class will not be the only ones unable to afford health insurance. Slowly it will effect everyone but the very rich. President Obama and the Democratic members of Congress must now begin to act. The spinelessness and timidity of Congressional members cannot be tolerated any longer. Even the most recent polls indicate that the American people want change in the health care system and they want it sooner than later. The last election's results laid claim to the people wanting action and not kow-towing to big money and right-wing negativism. Democrats: stand up and get the health care reform necessary. And don't water it down to please some right-wingers. The Republicans have determined that they will defeat health care reform, no matter what way it is presented. Leave the door open for bipartisanship, but for goodness sake, ACT!
The ball is now in the court of the Democrats and the President. Don't wimp out on us.
