Won’t Get Fooled Again
No matter what your political inclination, the election of a new President always brings anticipation of some positive early action that will bring the various political tribes in the country together. After all, whether you voted for him or not, the country has a new President and we should all want him to be successful beyond our wildest dreams.
So far, it has unfortunately been a case of “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” This must be particularly distressing for younger Americans that enthusiastically embraced President Obama’s message of change. Why they thought this election was any more about change than any other election, I don’t know. The opposition rarely claims that the “in” party is doing a great job and if elected they will continue along the same path.
The new President is off to a rough start. One of the early moves, to announce the plans to close Gitmo in one year was about as meaningful to most economically distressed Americans as Bill Clinton’s jumping all over the gays in the military issue with a not so definitive policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” That provided a level of comfort to no one, not gays, straights or homophobes. Likewise, the closure of Gitmo is still plagued by the lack of resolution of the fundamental problem of what to do with these fine fellows and how to put Americans back to work.
The cabinet choices were particularly distressing. A lot of well seasoned talent is being moved into or back into the White House. This is quite understandable for a President with very little experience to want to be surrounded by experienced help. Again, distressing I’m sure for those expecting change beyond imagine; But more disappointing was the ethical issues attached to several of the nominees. The President’s willingness to stand by them for a period of time was eventually interrupted by the recognition that people that owed more in taxes than most Americans make probably didn’t enjoy broad spread sympathy.
The most disturbing and by far the most critical issue is the stimulus spending package. What is supposed to be a short term jobs program looks more like a long term political agenda. The much talked about infrastructure projects that we sorely need amount to a pitiful 5% of total spending. The bi-partisan support that the President was looking for has not materialized.
It’s time for the President to determine who is in charge. America gave the nod to him, not Nancy Pelosi. If he wants bi-partisanship, he needs to take charge of his own party before he can provide leadership to the other side of the aisle.
As it stands, this stimulus package will be his undoing in the next election no matter what happens to the economy. If the economy rebounds smartly, there will always be an argument that it would have anyway. The recession is in its 15th month, a long downturn by any standards. With that in mind, we will be running deficits the size of Montana for the next several decades to pay for all of the long lived projects that are being sold as stimulus.
If the economy does not rebound, he will be excoriated for not spending more on projects offering near term job creation versus political whimsy. Either way, the stimulus package is a loser for the new President, the economy and the American people.
I’ve stated earlier that I’m all for a stimulus package. I think they tend to be of dubious value; however, they relieve a great deal of pain on the margin and provide a psychological boost to a nation overwhelmed with bad news. I encourage the President to show some leadership and reallocate the spending to where it will do some real good.
Richard Gabel
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