It has been six months since the Administration took office and the far left have taken complete control of the government. Has our capitalist past been improved upon? Or, is the socialism we have had thrust upon us making us worse off? Has the foreign policy of appeasement and apology made the world a safer place? To put it more simply, are you better off now than you were six months ago? Unfortunately, the answer is not only “no,” but “much worse.”
When the President took office in January, the entire world was full of “Hope.” The far left and moderates that put him there were hoping for “Change.” Well, they got the change, but I do not think they were “hoping” to get the type of change they got.
Foreign Affairs
After three trips abroad, the President may have made a lot of friends, but he has not done much to make us safer. Iran has continued its nuclear program unabated and continues to threaten both the west and Israel. North Korea is testing missiles and nuclear bombs and nobody does anything about it. Obama apologizes for American arrogance in the past and then cannot get the EU or anyone else to agree to his foreign policy or to spend more money on their own domestic stimulus plans.
In Russia, he speaks, declares the meetings successful, but nothing happens. Then, in a video that was not played at all by the liberal media in the United States, none of the Russian government officials shake his hands. In fact, they snub him.
Pakistan came very close to falling to the Taliban and is still fighting them off. That was not a typo, Pakistan, not Afghanistan. We have increased our presence in Afghanistan, but we still can not make any inroads. In fact, the past few months in Afghanistan have been the bloodiest from an American standpoint in years. The Taliban grows stronger and stronger each day. Maybe we need a Bush like surge in order to finally end the quagmire there?
To give the President some credit, we have begun our withdrawal of troops from Iraq. This appears to be working as there has not been any major incidents since the withdrawal began. Iraq has not fallen to the radical groups and the government seems to be stable. However some troops should stay just to maintain the peace and calm that is currently in that country.
Grade: D
Domestic Policy
The stimulus package that is costing taxpayers almost 800 billion dollars is a failure. That is a fact. Actually, it is such a failure that the President’s numbers are tanking probably almost exclusively because of this. His approval rating has dropped nine points in two weeks to under 56%. He now has the tenth lowest approval rating over all presidents at this point in their presidency. As we all know the stimulus package was passed with the President’s usual statement that it had to be done now. The economy could not wait. A crisis was about to occur.
It was promised in order to get the stimulus passed, that unemployment would not go above eight percent. It is now at 9.6% and easily on its way to over ten. In fact, the latest estimates say ten is not even a top figure. Jobs have not been saved. They are being lost at an alarming rate. There are even allegations that Obama’s office is keeping economic statistics from the American people so that his health care plan can pass. If Americans knew the true numbers on the economy, health care would be dead on arrival. But to listen to the President last night, the stimulus has worked. I do not know what figures he is looking at, but they definitely are not the same ones the general public is seeing.
Keynesian stimulus plans do not work. As I have said before in this column, a stimulus did not work in the Great Depression. It did not work in Japan in the 90’s and it will not work now. Recessions are cyclical as are growth periods. Time will end this recession and nothing else. The only difference now is that when this one ends our future will be laden with more debt than anyone could have imagined on November 4, 2008, when this president was elected. And, the Federal Reserve will be stronger and have more control of the economy as a result therefore.
At the current pace, the Federal Debt will be doubled in less than eight years. It took 43 Presidents to get the debt to ten trillion dollars. Obama will double it in less than eight. The current deficit of 1.3 trillion dollars is more than the last five years of Bush’s deficits combined. And, last night in his sales pitch on health care, Obama says that this year’s deficit is inherited from President Bush. Who is he kidding?
Obama is now losing his own party members. The so called “Blue Dog,” Democrats are running from him. Maybe it is out of fear because of the “Cap and Trade,” debacle. Maybe it is out of fear for deficits. Actually, it is out of fear for their jobs. If you were a Democrat from a conservative Southern or Midwestern State what would you do now? We have the worst case of “Tax and Spend” in American history.
Oh, I’m sorry; to correct myself so far it has just been Spend. The Tax portion has not hit yet. At some point, one of these spending sprees is going to break its own back and then the tax increases will come. And, when they come, mark my words, it will not be just the rich that are going to feel them in their pocketbooks.
“Cap and Trade,” has some of the largest penalties for capitalism in the history of the United States. If you pollute, you will pay. Thank God this bill looks like it is dead in the Senate. And, thank God, the aforementioned Blue Dog Democrats are killing this proposed health care plan as well.
Everyone in this country would love to have a health care plan that guarantees health care to everyone; that stops insurance companies from denying coverage based upon pre-existing conditions and that stops doctors from over treating. But, a single payer system will not work. It will ruin the best medical care in the world. And, that assumes that someone actually figures out how to pay for it.
Of course, Obama wants the “rich” to pay for it. Keep the lower classes covered without having to pay. Make the rich, evil capitalists pay for health care. Make them pay for everything. That will make life fairer.
Grade: F
After all, isn’t that what this is all about? This is about making life fair. It is socialism pure and simple. Since January 20, 2009, the government has taken over the insurance, banking and automobile industry. We are regulating whatever industries we have not taken over. And, now we want to create the biggest bureaucracy in the history of mankind; a government run health care industry.
It is time to stop. Life is not fair. There will always be rich. There will always be poor. Is it fair for one child to be born on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with rich parents? Is it fair for another child to be born into poverty in Calcutta? Is it fair for the Far Left Liberals to take away all of the incentive for personal improvement and gain that have made this country different from India and the European Socialist countries. No. It is not fair. And, hopefully 2010 is coming quickly so that all of the Far Lefties can be sent into retirement. That includes specifically; Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Chris Dodd, Barbara Boxer, and Barney Frank.
Oh, by the way, I sent a letter to Barbara Boxer this week saying that I was against the health care plan and that she should not vote for it under any conditions. This is the response I received:
Dear Mr. DeMartini:
Thank you for writing to me about the need for health care reform. I am committed to enacting comprehensive health reform that controls rising health care costs and ensures high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
Congress recently passed a budget that lays out some basic principles for health care reform: making health care coverage affordable, guaranteeing Americans a choice of health plans and physicians, investing in prevention and wellness, improving patient safety and quality care, and making health care reform fiscally sustainable.
As the number of uninsured Americans grows rapidly, more people are suffering and forgoing needed care. It is estimated that more than 45 million Americans are without health insurance, including 6.7 million people in California.
Escalating health care costs are hurting our families and our economy. In order to put our economy on a sound path to recovery, we must address the costs and inefficiencies of our health care system. As we move forward in the debate on health care reform, I will continue to fight for common goals of constraining costs, expanding access, and improving quality.
I look forward to working with the Obama Administration and my colleagues to enact legislation that will put these principles for health care reform.
Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me again about this or other issues of concern to you.
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
She did not even read my letter. This woman should be the first to be put into retirement when she is up for reelection.
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