Barack Obama Seems Unable to Face Up to America's Problems. The root of the problem seems to be the management of expectations. The magnificent campaign created the notion that Mr Obama could walk on water. Oddly enough, he can't.
It is a universal political truth that administrations do not begin to fragment when things are going well: it only happens when they go badly, and those who think they know better begin to attack those who manifestly do not. The descent of Barack Obama's regime, characterised now by factionalism in the Democratic Party and talk of his being set to emulate Jimmy Carter as a one-term president, has been swift and precipitate. It was just 16 months ago that weeping men and women celebrated his victory over John McCain in the American presidential election. If they weep now, a year and six weeks into his rule, it is for different reasons.
Despite the efforts of some sections of opinion to talk the place up, America is mired in unhappiness, all the worse for the height from which Obamania has fallen. The economy remains troublesome. There is growth - a good last quarter suggested an annual rate of as high as six per cent, but that figure is probably not reliable - and the latest unemployment figures, last Friday, showed a levelling off. Yet 15 million Americans, or 9.7 per cent of the workforce, have no job. Many millions more are reduced to working part-time. Whole areas of the country, notably in the north and on the eastern seaboard, are industrial wastelands. The once mighty motor city of Detroit appears slowly to be being abandoned, becoming a Jurassic Park of the mid-20th century; unemployment among black people in Mr Obama's own city of Chicago is estimated at between 20 and 25 per cent. One senior black politician - a Democrat and a supporter of the President - told me of the wrath in his community that a black president appeared to be unable to solve the economic problem among his own people. Cities in the east such as Newark and Baltimore now have drug-dealing as their principal commercial activity: The Wire is only just fictional.
Last Thursday the House of Representatives passed a jobs Bill, costing $15 billion, which would give tax breaks to firms hiring new staff and, through state sponsorship of construction projects, create thousands of jobs too. The Senate is trying to approve a Bill that would provide a further $150 billion of tax incentives to employers. Yet there is a sense of desperation in the Administration, a sense that nothing can be as efficacious at the moment as a sticking plaster. Edward B Montgomery, deputy labour secretary in the Clinton administration, now spends his time on day trips to decaying towns that used to have a car industry, not so much advising them on how to do something else as facilitating those communities' access to federal funds. For a land without a welfare state, America starts to do an effective impersonation of a country with one. This massive state spending gives rise to accusations by Republicans, and people too angry even to be Republicans, that America is now controlled by "Leftists" and being turned into a socialist state.
Source: Telegraph.co.uk | Simon Heffer
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Health Care Summit or Sham?
Cheryll A. Bellamy, Attorney and Pastor
The Health Care Summit brought the naysayers and doubters to the table. President Barack Obama directed the summit on CSPAN to show that he is not afraid of transparency. The meeting was for all Americans to see and judge for themselves whether the allegations surrounding the health care bill had any validity. It was very interesting to see the Republican reaction to the President's forthright appeal to both parties that this was their chance to prove their governing powers by completing the passage of health care reform that was started in 2009. Many suggestions were articulated by both sides.
It was plain to see that the majority of the white-haired curmudgeons did not look like the knights seated at the Round Table of Camelot. King Arthur created the round table to prevent quarrels; it was a Celtic symbol that all participants had equal status. President Obama is not King Arthur. It was obvious to outsiders that a few of the Congressmen present had less than noble and honorable intentions. The true transparency became evident when the Republicans declined to engage in good faith negotiation. Both leaders of the Republican Party, John Boehner and Eric Cantor, vented their endless political spins of why health care is not in the best interest of thirty million Americans.
The irony of the Republican's fight against health care exposes their efforts of stopping the very key policies they themselves authored to similar policies put forth by the Democrats. Americans got to see their true motives: it is not about health care or the needs of the American people; the Republicans have wasted countless hours to achieve one goal, and that is retrieving their political power and the White House in 2012. How? By making Barack Obama look like a complete failure as a president in the eyes of America and the world. Many of their motives are spearheaded by a subtle undercurrent of racism as shown by their long history of an unsympathetic stance on social injustice.
There were exchanges made in body language and tone of voice by both President Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. One could easily surmise traces of bad blood still resonating between them. President Obama had to remind John McCain they were no longer in campaign mode. The embarrassed John McCain understood the acrimonious comment as he bristled and became red-faced. John McCain complained about the procedural impact of the back room deals the White House made in order for the initial health care bill to pass both in the House and Senate. President's Obama's pragmatic strategy was not directed toward what happened a year ago, but was focused on how to find bipartisan solutions.
The recent rise in health care premiums in California is just a foreshadowing of what will take place for average households across America if nothing is done: “Recent news reported that Feinstein, D-Calif., has joined President Obama and other elected officials in seizing on the proposed 39 percent rate hikes proposed by Anthem Blue Cross on some of its individual members in California to reenergize the debate over national health legislation."
The obstructionist party agreed to work on behalf of three million people. The philosophical differences were apparent. Civility was intact but both parties' political philosophies unraveled for all to see. Democrats believe that health care is a moral right making it an inclusive right for thirty million uninsured people. The Republicans see health care as a economic privilege thus excluding many middle class and poor people out of the health care equation. The backlash began to explode as one Republican after the other challenged the President about insurance premiums increasing under his plan along with the notion that health care will be the leading cause of our nation's deficits. Last but not least was the hidden procedural ace card, called “reconciliation.” If the Democrats use reconciliation, the Republicans’ only surviving method of death threats and Waterloo will be the infamous filibuster.
Make no mistake; the Republicans have many Americans bamboozled. Each of them expressed their rehearsed words, “Let's make a deal,” which when translated means, “Scrap the existing bill and start over.” We all know that such an approach means no health care reform. Bipartisanship in times of necessary reform is not always the convenient route.
My response to that voice from Great Britain is the following: words of gloom and doom are not what we need to determine the overall success of this nation.
The drum beat of change was heard by all Americans. Unfortunately, the greatest deception of seeing President Barack Obama by some voters as their messiah, became a slippery slope to experiencing disappointment and hopelessness.
The American culture, with the help of the media, enjoys creating the aura of an insatiable appetite for heroes. For the most part, our heroes must be invincible and infallible. Obama is neither one.
President Barack Obama in the eyes of many voters failed the test. Many naive voters failed their own test scores-called reality check. Our expectations were unrealistic. Why? We had based our hopes on a false foundation. We do not live in the land of Camelot.
Come on let's get real. We know as Christians we have something far greater than the opinions of others. It is the truth of the living Word of God. Crisis creates opportunities.
The ability to govern is not only the responsibility of President Obama, but it includes both legislative parties, Republicans and Democrats.
When People live in the moment;they limit their abilities to see their future. We complain and look for every excuse in the world to blame a leader when we have the power to change our circumstances. Blame is another factor which places limitations on us.
Our God has given us the ability and power to create and frame our world that aligns itself to His Kingdom.
Are the negative words of a political pundit greater than the Word of God? Make the choice.
Our expectation is drawn from the finished works of Jesus, the Messiah.
Cheryll, there is only one God. I pray one day, you truly worship Him.
cheryll, your post are always one-sided favoring Obama, an anti-Christ. I see your true motives. You worship Obama. All of us must worship God, not man, if we want to spend eternal life with Him and not him. Bush couldn't save us. Neither can Obama. Only Christ can do this miraculous work.
Rev. Bellamy,
Would you want to spend eternity with someone who believes Christ is not the only way to receive eternal life, who believes his grandmother, who did not believe in Christ, is in heaven because she was a "good" person, who believes Christians should not telling people that Christ is the only way to receive salvation? If so, be prepared for eternal death.
Brace yourself: Though it tells us to pray for our leaders, the Bible tells us not to pray for those who teach a false gospel. We should never stop praying that our leaders will make godly decisions. By praying for our leaders in this manner, the most sinful of them might make decisions in God's will for this nation, like the decision "not" to kill the unborn child and the decision "not" to allow homosexuality to spread across this nation.
The anonymous responses on what I wrote are those Christians who are very self-righteous and judgmental. I will say this about you, you cannot even be transparent enough to sign your names. I don't have to judge you, the Word of God will do it. May I remind all of you to read: Matt.7:1; 1 Cor. 2:15;
I will tell you this: Jesus is my Savior and Lord. That is all you need to know about me.My political preferences are none of your business.
Now, if you want to beat me over the head because I do not think like you, than that is between you and God. I do not worship religion.
President Obama needs our prayers, but he does not need for you to be his judge. Refer to
Romans 13:1-13.
God says we are to laugh at our enemies. Have a great day, Cheryll Bellamy, Attorney and Pastor
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