Say Anything

I sat down to read the stimulus bill that Barack Obama and the Democrats drafted anticipating to be outraged at how much money we were going to throw away at unworthy and hopeless causes. I mean, if the Republicans can grandstand about how my child's grandchildren will be paying for this in the oh-so-distant future when all we need are a few tax cuts for multi-million dollar businesses and people who make more money than them, then how could I not be offended by the irresponsibility and partisan politics?

But, alas, I am not. While the amount of money is staggering, I do not see one area that I don't think the government should be supporting. Here is a breakdown of where the money is going:

• 54 billion towards energy, including investments in a smarter electrical grid and grants to make government building more energy-efficient
• 16 billion towards science and technology, including agricultural, biomedical, and engineering research
• 90 billion towards modernizing roads, bridges, transit and waterways
• 141.6 billion towards education
• 24.1 billion for healthcare, including health information technology and research
• 102 billion for those workers hurt by the economy, including job training and continuation of benefits for the unemployed
• 91 billion to be distributed to state and local governments to preserve vital jobs and keep Medicaid afloat
• The remaining money is tied into tax cuts for working families

Opponents to the bill have thrown out bits and pieces of misinformation about too much money being spent on birth control ("It won't stimulate the economy, but it might stimulate something else, te-hee!) and not enough being spent on infrastructure (Only 3% of this bill will be spent on roads! - actually it's 3.6% for roads and 11% on all forms of transportation). If this griping and bellyaching won't work (and it won't), they just go back to old standard. That's right, they make shit up.

Republicans said that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a report indicating that the majority of the spending in this bill will not take effect until 2011. Unfortunately for the Republicans, this report does not actually exist (nice try, Senator McConnell). But that didn't stop the left-wing media from mentioning it continuously this past weekend.

This piece of legislation fulfills campaign ideas and proposals that helped get Obama elected. I understand that some Republicans feel they must put up some sort of resistance in order to keep their Rush Limbaugh Fan Club card and to be able to say "I told you so!" if these measures don't work, but the people voted for Obama to enact these things whether they like it or not.

Barack Obama, in an attempt to be cordial and respectful, tried to convince the Republicans to let him follow through on this proposal. But now he must take charge, and as Lloyd Dobler did as the keymaster, tell the raving lunatics, "YOU MUST CHILL!"

Two Roads Diverged in a Wood...

I was blown away by Barack Obama's inaugural address on Tuesday. Others have been critical because he did not deliver a policy speech - this is like picking lint off an Armani suit - but I was impressed because he made it point to do specific things during his speech.

First, Obama took his opportunity in front of the world to say that it will be difficult and that personal sacrifices will need to be made by all in order for the United States to live up to the promise of our charter. He also said that there are no easy solutions or fixes and that the road back to prominence will be steep. And now every time when something goes well or better than expected, he will look like a genius.

The ability to under-promise and over-deliver is a critical part of every salesperson's routine. And since a politician is nothing more than a salesperson, it should not be surprising that Obama has this technique down. He practiced it well towards the end of his campaign and he reaffirmed it in his prose on Tuesday.

And then on Wednesday he immediately put it into practice by issuing an executive order against torture, putting a freeze on the salaries of the White House staff, restricting gifts to White House aides and executive branch officials, and cracking down on the "revolving door" practice - where government staffers quickly moving into lucrative private sector jobs lobbying the government. The latter fulfilled a campaign promise. (Obama pledged that "no political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years. And no political appointees will be able to lobby the executive branch after leaving government service during the remainder of the administration.")

Not everyone will look at these as positives, but the majority of Americans do. And by knocking all of that out before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, he casts a favorable light on himself and his administration.

Second, Obama took the opportunity to illuminate the differences between he and his predecessor. In a particularly muscular and stern part of his address, he lambasted President Bush and his administration. He said:

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expediencies sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

Obama swiftly dismissed the bravado-filled tenure of Bush and Cheney by slapping them upside the head with history of peace during dangerous times. He rebuked their argument of action with no boundaries in an effort to keep American citizens safe. There are certain lengths to which we should not have gone because there was no imminent danger - only a pervasive fear started by terrorists and kept alive by our government.

Not since Reagan's 1981 inaugural speech has there been such a fiery retort to the outgoing crew. Obama one-upped the "The Great Communicator" because he didn't rely on politics as usual. He established the politics of the future.

Robert Frost wrote:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Obama just started down the path less traveled. We will have to see if it makes all the difference.