Countdown to Coronation Part 2

Last week I began a commentary on what President Elect Obama should focus on during his first 100 days in the Oval Office. I outlined priority number one as getting more liquidity in the credit market. Today we look at priority numeral dos:

2. Close Gitmo...Restore Our Rightful Place in the World

Okay so perhaps the simple closing of one of America's most embarrassing facilities will not restore our global reputation to what it was just a short eight years ago. However, this is a critical first step down that path. It says to the rest of the world that we actually believe and live out the principles that our country was founded on. It does appear just a bit hypocritical to say that we are spreading democracy around the world while not following our own Constitution at home.

Just a reminder to everyone, the aim of terrorist is to alter our way of life, and illustrate that our system of government and law does not work. Well, score one for the terrorist. By holding men prisoners with no access to attorneys and courts, and no real legal rights what are we saying about our country? When we put people on trial before "Special Tribunals" and deny them the right to face their accusers or even see the evidence upon which we convict them then how can we maintain that we are for freedom and justice in the world. I can hear the screams from the Right Wing Wackos already: "You are being Un-American, do you like terrorist, do you want them to kill us?"

No, no, no. Actually I'm not such a big fan of terrorism. This is why I am against giving terrorist what they want. Why let them ruin our system of justice? Do we not have enough faith and confidence in our legal system? This system that has withstood over 200 years of challenges, a Civil War, and two World Wars? Of course it is expedient to jail those with whom we disagree, despotic dictators and Communist Party leaders learned that long ago. Do you really think that after promoting freedom and democracy for over two centuries we should follow the lead of tyrants? In case you need more of an arguement then look at the words of several notable American Statesmen:

"A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference. " -Thomas Jefferson

and...

"Any people that would give up liberty for a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety." -Ben Franklin

So closing Gitmo is not going to restore our global luster all at once. However, this is a critical first step, which combined with a new approach to foreign policy can insure a safer world for all of us. The use of so called "Smart Power", the idea that foreign policy means more than use of military might. An understanding that it must be accompanied by thoughtful diplomacy and long-term strategy. We need to understand that our actions today have consequences ten, thirty, and fifty years from now. It is time that we start living up to our creed as Americans, we codified the rights of all mankind in our Constitution and no terrorist should ever be able to change that.

Countdown to Coronation....

With less than a week remaining in the Bush Administration, I look forward to the impending change of leadership with a sense of anticipation and joy, but reserved expectations. At no point in recent history has a President sworn the oath of office amidst such a torrid of domestic and global crisis. It is often said that the first 100 days of a presidency set the tone for the entire term and I have no doubt that will be true for President Obama. Sorting out and prioritizing the many bogie's on his presidential radar will certainly be a task. Where to start? An economy near collapse, rising unemployment, record foreclosures, a collapsing auto industry, war on two fronts, and just for good measure throw in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. No doubt the first few months on the job will test the mettle of our new leader, so where to start? Over the next few days I will lay out my top five priorities:

1. Get Banks to Lend:

As pressing as the issues of foreign policy and global war are, we need first to look inward and clean up our own backyard. In case you haven't noticed the banking sector is still not giving loans despite taking $350+ BILLION of OUR money through what is now being called TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program). Like a fifth-grader on the playground, it seems that most banks have stomped off the court, saying "This is my ball, and I'm going home". They are holding up the game, which in turn has consequences that reach nearly every corner of the economy. The main problem here is with the way the money was distributed in the first place. The idea behind a major government bailout is to place a large amount of liquidity back in the market in a very short period of time. The belief then follows that because of this influx of liquidity there will in turn be a corresponding rise in spending thus production will increase, unemployment will decrease, and we will all live happily ever after.

It is a good theory, only one problem here; the funds were not distributed to consumers or even to businesses looking to make capital expenditures. Instead the funds were distributed to banks both large and small. Once again this illustrates one of the most popular plays from the Republican handbook: give our rich friends more money and hope that the effects "trickle-down" to the rest of you. Now setting aside the fact that so called "supply-side" economics have no history of success, lets instead key in on this specific example. What has happened over the past few months is that all kinds of banks large and small have applied and been granted Federal monies (our monies). However, instead of loosing lending requirements as there is now more cash available, they have taken the money and used it for everything from building upgrades to acquisitions of smaller banks. All the while the American consumer and small business owner are left holding the bag. We are giving banks money who then refuse to lend it to us! That is crazy!

So you ask, how do we fix it? Well I believe there are two important steps that President Obama must take when (obviously not if) he distributes the rest of the TARP funds. First, more of the money must be targeted for mortgage relief. This is the number one problem in the consumer economy. People are loosing their homes. I know, many of you who are not loosing your houses will ask why should I bail out my neighbor? I'll tell you why. Foreclosures effect everyone, not just the people loosing their homes. With more foreclosures you have more homes on the market for sale which drives the prices of all the homes in the neighborhood down. It also means that banks have less money to lend as they have to keep cash reserves to cover these assets and therefore are less willing to lend. Getting the foreclosure situation under control has to be a top priority. This means not giving more funds to banks, but instead direct government intervention in purchasing delinquent home loans and working with the homeowners on new repayment plans. It means purchasing already vacant bank owned property and making it available to affordable prices to those in need. In short it means insuring that millions of Americans don't loose the cornerstone of their American dream.

Second, there has to be transparency. I'm sorry AIG and General Motors, but if you are going to take my money then I want to see a ledger sheet on how you are spending it. Beyond that, there needs to be clear guidelines for what the funds can and cannot be spent on. I know, I know, at this point many of you may be screaming that you don't want the Federal government making decisions for private companies. I completely agree! However, when you put your hand out and take my tax dollars, then you are no longer a private business. You can't just play capitalism when it suits your cause and then decide you want a socialist bailout. If you are in business it involves risk, you must take on the risk in order to reap rewards. When it doesn't turn out the way you like you simply cannot say, "well I lost money, so the government should give it back". You are not playing with house money here! However, because we have recognized that there is the potential that the greater good will be served by helping you out (this time anyway), we are going to give you some money, but yes we reserve the right to tell you how to spend it. If you don't like the rules of the game feel free to leave the court, but please leave our ball here as the game must go on.

Barack Obama's Inauguration Address ....

...well not really, but this is what I would tell him to say:


My Fellow Citizens,


As we stand together today as Americans and participate in one of the most awesome events that mankind has ever witnessed, the peaceful transformation of power from one President to the next. I ask you to take a moment to reflect on the road we have traveled, the trials we have overcome, and the battles we have fought and won. From protecting ourselves against hellbent extremist, to defending the world against those who wish to strip away our freedoms, our democracy, and our very way of life. For over 200 years this nation has served as a beacon of hope to those who long for a better life, and an impenetrable deterrent to those who would like nothing more than to enslave free men.

Yesterday we celebrated a national holiday in honor and remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King. This man who served his country dutifully, honorably, and gave what can only be described as the last full measure of devotion to the cause of civil rights for all of us.

Dr. King spoke of a dream, a dream that was born out of hope for the future, not just for blacks, or for whites, but for us all as Americans. He spoke not of the stain of slavery, not of the shackles of the past, but of the rights of all men, of the hope of the future, and of the true power of this great democracy.

Today, as we stand amidst turmoil and uncertainty in the world, I say to you as Americans, once again, that we shall overcome. We have not lost our resourcefulness, we have not forgotten our determination, and we have not abandoned our principles. The essence of the American spirit was forged in the battles of the Revolution, through the assertion of man's natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We upheld our moral imperative and strengthened the Union by defeating the scourge of slavery. And in the 20th century we set an example of leadership for all the world to see.

So now we look forward. We look forward to a world of marvelous possibilities, and sobering threats. The next decade will bring us extraordinary achievement in sciences, medicine, technology, and trade. As a nation that never has rested on its laurels we will be at the forefront of these great discoveries. We will reach for the stars with ever greater fervor, knowing that they have never been so near our grasps.

And I say this now to the enemies of freedom, the enemies of democracy, the thugs, despots, and cowards who wish us harm: These United States of America will not back-down from what is right, will not acquiesces to the whims of the selfish and unsavory, and will not now nor ever cease in our defense of democracy and freedom.

It is time for a new page in our history. A new generation is emerging to assume this mantle of leadership. Never before have we had so many grand ideas, tremendous plans, or great minds. We will harness the power of our people, the power of that elusive homegrown trait we call "American Ingenuity".

My friends, now is the time to move forward, to improve not just the country we live in in but the world. Now is the time to fight poverty, improve education, and reverse climate change. Now is the time to create new jobs, new industries, and new opportunities for all, rich and poor, black, white, brown, Asian, African, and Latino.

The time has come to re-establish the relationships with our global neighbors that will help keep us safe and prosperous. We will model the way, we will speak with our words, but scream with our actions. There is no doubt that America is the greatest nation in the world, and it is our duty to live up to that mandate.

This means each of us must take on the responsibility of living up to what it truly means to be an American, just as our country must live up to it's reputation in the world. There will be challenges. There will be set backs and tribulations. But we will conquer these challenges together, unified in our love for our country, our insatiable desire to advance humankind.

Let us go forth from this moment in time, each armed with clarity of thought and purpose of action. This nation was not built by one, but by many. Now is our time to write the lines of history that will reverberate for generations to come. Now is the time for the next great generation. Throughout history we have always answered the bell, always been willing to solve the difficult problems, overcome the insurmountable obstacles, and answer the unanswerable questions. Now is one of those times, time for us to raise the bar, to do the unimaginable; to be Americans.

I pray that God put purpose in each of our hearts, so that all can go forward from this place, may God bless you, and may god always bless America.

Burris...Moron? Political Genius?

It has been a strange year in politics, a strange year indeed. This year has been filled with many surprises: the election of the first Black President, the defeat of Clintonian dominance, the victory of a comedian to a senate seat, and the emergence of a comedic vice presidential candidate. All in all, it has been an exciting ride. One thing that hasn't been surprising is the exposure of continued corruption in the Chicago political machine. Yes of course I am talking about our favorite governor with the funny name. It seems that being caught on tape soliciting money and favors in exchange for a senate appointment is not a harsh enough offense to drive one from the national spotlight. This should surprise but now shock us; think of the Alaskan Senator caught soliciting sex in an airport bathroom who still refused to step down, or the one time Speaker of the House and author of the "Contract with America", the man who brought moral reform back to popularity and all but crucified Bill Clinton who then himself fell victim to an affair. Yes we tolerate a lot from our public figures, corruption, lies, distortion, and even hypocrisy. I point all of this out because in all honesty I have no bone to pick with Governor Blagojevich rather, if their is any indignation to be had we must direct our disdain towards the ever unpopular figure Roland Burris.

Now I must admit that when it was first announced that the good Governor had appointed someone to fill the vacated seat I naturally assumed that he nominated himself. I could think of no better way to strike back at the media, his constituents, and the rest of the country then by sticking his middle finger loudly into the air and taking the seat for himself. It seems like the kind of thing that an egomaniacal lunatic like Blagojevich would do. Plus I reasoned, no serious, qualified, self-respecting politician would be caught dead accepting such an appointment. Well, I was half right. I think that it speaks volumes about Roland Burris that he not only is the choice but seems to have accepted that role with enthusiasm and relish. Based on his behavior I can draw only one of two conclusions: either he is in fact a complete and utter moron, or he is very politically astute, and places a great deal of faith in the law and rules of our nation. Either way, he is a moron.

There is no doubt that Burris knew that Blagojevich was using him as a pawn to prove that not only could he beat the bad wrap, but that he was still in charge. The Governor appointed him because he was a qualified candidate, but more importantly he was a qualified African-American Candidate. In doing so he knew that it would be extremely difficult for Senate Democrats to refuse entry to a man who would now be the sole Black Senator in all the land. So I understand the Governor's motives, but what the hell is Burris thinking? As I said before he is either a complete moron who somehow despite his many accomplishments is not able to deduce what even an elementary student could, or he really is a political genius who understands that he has zero chance of ever actually being elected to the Senate, so he should simply take this opportunity that has so graciously fallen in his lap. If this is the case he must have a very strong belief in justice and the rule of law as he seems to genuinely expect to be seated.

Now, while I am not going to go so far as to say that Mr. Burris's trust has been misplaced, I must point out that he was not sworn in with the incoming class today on Capital Hill, and in fact was barred from entering the Senate Chambers. So what to do now? To me the answer is simple: you have to give Mr. Burris his seat. He was appointed lawfully, meets all qualifications to hold the seat, and seems to be an upstanding American. Yes it is unfortunate that he has been appointed by a Governor who will likely be impeached and possibly indicted, but none the less the seat is his. There is no legal argument that can possibly prevent him from entering the Senate should he continue to insist to do so. All that said it is worth noting that if the state legislature in Illinois would have simply voted a special election than none of this would have ever happened. However, the many chicken-shit Democrats in Illinois did not want to put the seat up for an open race and risk potentially loosing their party's stranglehold on the Senate. This again seems ridiculous to me being that a Black Man who's name rhymes with a well known terrorist won this seat four years ago and just won the Presidency in an election in which the Democratic Party dominated nationwide. In fact the Republican Party was not even able to come up with a serious candidate for this seat four years ago and instead had to resort to running the carpet-bagging, bible-thumping, holier-than-thou sellout Alan Keys. Why would Illinois Democrats not be confident that they could hold this seat in an open election in this political climate? Who knows, it seems to be just another mystery of Illinois politics.

2009 Hope for a New Year

As we roll into 2009 I think it is important for us all to realize that hope is not a strategy. Yes I know it is a catchy campaign phrase. It is great to "Believe in something better", and of course "Yes we can" (whatever that means), but my friends hope is not a strategy. After enduring one of the most tumultuous years in my brief and damaged memory, I look forward to a new year not with hope and expectations, but with a somber and pragmatic viewpoint. Yes we will see a much needed change of leadership (if there was any leadership there at all), it is likely that we will see our role in Iraq be significantly diminished (please don't be confused though, our role in the Middle East will only continue to grow), and we may even see a congress that actually accomplishes something. However, there is little doubt in my mind that 2009 will be a year of tough sledding, filled with trials, scandals, and continued death and destruction.

I know this paints a gloomy picture for those of you who would like to believe that by changing the last digit when you write the date that we will some how suddenly be rescued from the tepid economic situation we find ourselves in, or that on January 20th somehow our society will rise up and once again serve as a beacon of freedom and light in the world. The truth of the matter is that it took us a significant amount of time and work to put ourselves into this rut, and it will certainly take us a great deal of time to dig out. For those of you still looking for that elusive emotion known as hope I offer these five positive predictions:

1. The President will be Presidential Again:

You would think that with less than a month remaining in his term I would give the poor guy a break. Alas, you obviously have not read my blog before. Yes it has been an interested eight years with our boy Dubbya. It is quite possible that ol' Bush may have been the most underestimated President in the history of our country. When he took office we all knew that he was not that bright, but who could have predicted the sheer scale of the calamity that would insue? A multi billion dollar deficit, complete collapse of economy, the highest unemployment rates in decades, and oh yeah I almost forgot the wonderful contributions to foreign policy. Well there is one downside to the upcomming transition: no more "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches".

2. The Senate will Get a Lot Funnier:

Apparantly the further north you go, and the closer you get to Canada, the less in touch with reality the body politic becomes. From the state that brought you Governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura, now emerges the one time comedian and victor of one of the closest senate races in history, Al Franken. Personnally I like Franken, but I can't get over a state that continues to choose leaders based on their tv personas. Now I know that California elected the "Governator", but come on thats California, what do you expect? Minnesota is supposed to exhibit that midwestern common sense and practicality that we are always hearing about. Seriously guys, I think the nine month long winters may finally be getting to you.

3. The Constitution will Come Back In-Vogue:

Our poor little friend the Constitution; never has a document been held in such high esteem and utterly ignored at the same time. Habeous Corpus? What are you talking about? A right to privacy, to face ones accusors, to a trial by a jury of one's peers, to not being tortured, err interogated rigorously, to an attorney, to humane treatment? Yes this poor document has taken a beating over the last few years. It's distant cousin the Geneva Convention also seems to be in a sad state of disrepair. Assuming the President-Elect keeps his word and closes the gates to Gitmo once and for all, we can expect at least some kind of return to the rule of law. What was the aim of the terrorist again? Something about disrupting our way of life and proving that our systems of law and government don't work....hmmm.

4. Sarah Palin will not Go Away:

Now I know that many of you have visions of Governor Palin sitting in her rocking chair on her front porch overlooking Russia. I have some good news for you, the Governor of Alaska a.k.a the punchline that just kept giving is not going away. I predict an ever growing national presence for America's favoriate hockey mom. While a sad statement about the Republican Party and America as a whole, her extended 15 minutes of fame will no doubt lead to more hilarious gaffes and a continued demonstration of her intellectual prowess. Note to self: make sure you know how many countries are in North America prior to running for national office.

5. We will Come to Know World Peace:

Yes thats right, we will come to know world peace in the year 2009. Hey, it's entirely possible. It is also possible that I couldn't come up with 5 positive things that will happen in this new year. Yes, I know I am a cynical old bastard, but hey at least I'm consistant.