Obama Beer

Hey, I'd enjoy a beer with the president too! Will beer belly diplomacy cure racial sensitivity in the United States? No, probably not. I think Gates and Crowley were overly sensitive; both should have cooled it. I do not think there was any racial profiling. They, and the rest of us, should really move on.

But I'm open to meeting with the president to discuss my views on other problems we face... over a beer, of course

Obama - on track

President Obama returned recently from a very successful trip to Saudia Arabia, Egypt, Germany and France. Good job! We're at a new beginning with the Muslim world; we're insisting on reasonable accomodations from Israel and Palestine, no more settlements, two state solution, recognition of each other, no violence. Respects were paid at Normandy; well said, well done. A good solid nominee for the Supreme Court, and the beginning of a bi-partisan dialogue on health care reform. Well done, Mr. President, well done.

Let's Face It

At Notre Dame, Obama got it right. He acknowledges that the two sides of the abortion issue will never be compatable.. but he encourages us to deal with it. Let's face it, he says, rather than simply ignore it. He's right.

No one is in favor of abortion. Those pro-choice folks out there are not in favor of abortion, they are in favor of the right to an abortion. Obama says lets reduce the number of undesirable pregnancies. One way to accomplish that is to encourage more education about contraception. The Roman Catholic church opposes contraception. They are wrong to do so and we should face that too. The Roman Catholic church does not run this country. Abstinace education doesn't work. Bush proved that. We need to give our young folks the information they need and the contraceptives they need to stop unwanted pregnancies.

Stem cell research is a good thing. Stem cell research using embryos is a good thing too. There are many frozen embryos that will be distroyed. It is right and proper and good for science to use them for stem cell research.

Case closed

When a broken promise becomes a lie

President Obama made many promises in the course of his presidential election campaign. All candidates do. Now, elected, he is going about the process of breaking those promises. I know, all elected officials do. That does not cushion my disappointment. Obama promised a transparent administration. Promise broken many times. He promised to release pictures. Promise broken (influenced by the Pentagon, where have we heard that before?). He promised to end the illegal military tribunals. Promise broken.

My main concern here is for the integrity of this administration which is slowly but surely heading down the drain. It's unfortunate. It's also a disrespect for the rule of law (another broken promise), when Obama thumbs his nose at a court ruling and agreement concerning release of the pictures. I don't really care to see the pictures, but I care very much about disregarding the law and the ruling of the court to which the administration had agreed.

One broken promise seems to make the next one easier, and easier, and many of these broken promises now appear to be essentially lies. Sad

Yesterday I received an email from President Obama in which he outlined his health care initiatives. My wife and I are caught in that no-man's land between employee sponsored health care and medicare. It cost a small fortune for very little coverage. Hopefully , if we needed the catestrophic coverage, it would be there, but experience tells me it won't be. I know we are fortunate that we can afford this coverage; too many folks can't.

Health care is critical. My grandfather use to tell me that if you don't have your health you don't have anything. I know he's right. As a country, affordable health care that actually covers something needs to be a priority. We need to take care of ourselves. We need to do this.

I know the conservative scare, the bush league tactics. Socialism, they call it. I call it Americanism. It's something we can do; something we must do.

Thank you, Mr. President

Thank You, Mr. President !

It is so refreshing to listen to a president who is articulate, who knows the issues and can speak to them. President Obama did so tonite. No, I do not agree with his continuing the Bush policy of secrets in court. He said he wouldn't do it; but he's continuing Bush's policy. I don't buy his excuses. But I'm with him on most everything else: on Iraq, on the economy, on immigration, on health care. I agree with his attn general when he says that no one is above the law with regard to torture and it's execution and I hope he finds a way to deal with that. Sweeping it under the rug is not a satisfactory resolution. But, overall, I'm pleased and I'm proud. Thank you Mr. President.

Cuba, Si !

It's time to end the embargo. It never really worked anyway. Obama says he wants to start over with Cuba; let's do it. The world has changed in the last 50 years. Fidel has taken a back seat.

Humanatarian reasons are sufficient for us to stand up as Americans and help our neighbors. Let's do it.

Honeymoon

I guess it's over. I voted for President Obama, and overall I would say I'm pleased with his progress thus far. Most of the immediate problems we're facing were generated by the Bush administration, and it's a long, slow road out. I understand that.

Still, there were promises made. Transparency was a promise. Truth was a promise. Now we see Obama issuing "signing statements," where the president says he has no intention in following a law passed by the congress and signed by him. We have another president telling us that he is above the law. I'm really disappointed in that.

We have documents now released that clearly show Bush approved of torture. The letters from the justice department do not make legal that which is clearly illegal, yet the president and his administration are saying it's a time for reflection rather than justice. The director of the CIA says he will oppose any investigation of his operatives who worked under letters of approval from the justice department. Never mind that those letters carry no weight; they are not a court order or a rule of law. What Panetta is saying is that they "were only following orders." Where have we heard that before ? WW II Germany? That is no excuse! Bush KNEW torture was both illegal and against treaties, yet he approved torture anyway. The congress should beging with Bush and work their way down: Investigation, prosecution, conviction, incarceration: justice. So why does Obama plan to ignore this? I don't know. It troubles me.