Play well with others

Let me be the first to say that this week BARAK OBAMA IS F***ING UP!!! I am a big supporter of Mr. “Barak Hussein Obama,” but this week I have seen a few troubling things. I am sympathetic with the amount of junk that he has to fix, and I applaud him for his conduct during the campaign, the actions of his transition team, and the general way he does things. However, some of the things he does I find disquieting, specifically I am referring to the proposed economic stimulus package.

Let me start with the good news: I am impressed with the Obama spirit of bipartisanship. One of the things Obama said he intended to fix is a lack of cooperation in Washington. He vowed to put politics aside and implement solutions that will be best for the country. He promised that he may not agree with the ideas of his opponents, but that he would always listen and give them the respect that they deserve. He also said that he is not opposed to using the good ideas that are presented from the other side of the table and he would not let a political agenda keep him from implementing the best idea for everyone.

The negotiations regarding the proposed stimulus package have been a model of good will from the Obama administration. Never has a president with such an overwhelming majority in Congress and a sky high approval rating done more to extend his hand to his opposition.

The problem I have is that he is letting bad ideas into a very important stimulus bill for political reasons. I believe (as I have said before) that infrastructure spending is the best way to stimulate this economy. To help get Republican support for this bill, the Obama administration has reduced its infrastructure spending and put more tax cuts in this bill. This bill as it is currently written has 19% of its spending dedicated to infrastructure projects and 33% of it devoted to tax cuts. THAT RATIO IS BACKWARDS. THIS IS THE SAME SET OF POLICIES THAT GOT US IN THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

It is the last 27 years of these tax cuts and irresponsible spending that led to this economic climate. If people get a tax cut in this economy they are going to pay bills they already have, or they are going to put it in the bank. The vast majority of people are not going to buy anything new of consequence (because they still can’t get credit), and they are not going to hire a new employee. If you build infrastructure then people from all levels of society must be hired to do the work. That means that more people have more money. More people will buy things when their prospects are better and when they have more money. That grows the economy.

That is the idea that Barak Obama campaigned on and that is the idea that I and most of the country voted for. If I wanted tax cuts and a conservative agenda I would have voted for John McCain. I didn’t. America thought about the two ideas that were presented and they voted for Barak Obama’s solution on how to fix the economy. The Democrats won overwhelming victories in the House and the Senate because all over this country people think that the ideas pushed by the Democrats are the best solutions for this country.

Yes, some tax cuts will help the immediate situation so here should be tax cuts, but not 1/3 of a stimulus package. I am not opposed to compromise, but the compromise has to yield a better idea then the one you started with. The strength of compromise is that in the end your idea is stronger because you have incorporated other good ideas into your own. To change a good idea just so people will like you is not an effective compromise.

And what did President Obama get for all his good will and compromise. NOTHING. Not one gutless Republican representative voted for this compromise. The White House showed the spirit of compromise and tried to meet the other side halfway. Did the Republicans in the house say “it is not everything we want, but it is a good start”? Did they say “this bill doesn’t do everything we want, but it is better than doing nothing”? No. Instead ,they did nothing. They stuck to their 80-year-old out-dated ideas and failed to grasp the reality of the situation.

Maybe I am not giving the Republicans enough credit. Maybe they are a lot smarter than I am. A very good plan would be to make Obama add so much to his bill that it is ultimately ineffective. Then none of them vote for it. When the stimulus fails, they can then go back to their constituents and say “Obama messed up the stimulus package.” Brilliant political maneuvering. Why didn’t I think of that? Oh wait, I just did.”

I am glad Obama is trying to change the way politics is played in this country. It is a change that has been needed for a while. I have stated in other articles that I have written that compromise is an important thing and the ability not to incorporate good ideas different from your own is one of the biggest failures of the previous administration. I do think that Mr. Obama needs to do what is right and not to win approval of everyone. Part of being a leader is making tough choices. It means to put aside what people think of you and do what is best for people. I think Obama needs to remember that THE DEMOCRATS WON. This bill can pass without the Republicans. I think he should continue the spirit of compromise, but in the end he has to do the right thing, not the politically correct thing. I guess we will call this strike one.

A future article will be about strike 2. Let’s just say the name William Lynn III comes to mind. You can’t hit a home run every time and for the most part this administration has done a great job. I am not jumping off of the ship after three weeks.

As always I love to hear what you think of this position. I especially welcome ideas that differ from my own.