I was hoping for something better with President Obama, but I realize now he's just not into championing causes because they are right. He goes along to get along. Contrast that with Bobby Kennedy, via the Writer's Almanac on 20 November:
We just don't hear that type of inspirational, soaring rhetoric any more. Or if we do hear it, we think it's insincere and pandering.
Now, to continue with the rant. President Bush has been out of office for two years, and whenever I see him, I still have a visceral skin-crawl. And now that he's put himself back into the media with his
Via Dan Froomkin at Huffington Post, who says it much better than I can:
WASHINGTON -- These days, when we think of George W. Bush, we think mostly of what a horrible mess he made of the economy. But his even more tragic legacy is the loss of our moral authority, and the transformation of the United States of America from global champion of human rights into an outlaw nation.
History is likely to judge Bush most harshly for two things in particular: Launching a war against a country that had not attacked us, and approving the use of cruel and inhumane interrogation techniques.
And that's why the two most essential lies -- among the many -- in his new memoir are that he had a legitimate reason to invade Iraq, and that he had a legitimate reason to torture detainees.
Neither is remotely true. But Bush must figure that if he keeps making the case for himself -- particularly if it goes largely unrebutted by the traditional media, as it has thus far -- then perhaps he can blunt history's verdict.
A day after winning the California primary, in the early morning of June 6, 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy was shot and killed as he left a campaign rally in Los Angeles.
Two months before his assassination, he said: "What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black."
I hear ya. My wife and I have this chat once a week (she compares to FDR though). My point back to her is that maybe yes he goes along, but not just to get along, but get things done. And they are good things. I am not trying to change your mind, but man I cringe when I listen to lefty radio ro watch MSNBC. If it was right wing radio, every time Bush or anyone else compromised, they didn't blast Bush, they blasted a too liberal Congress and Bush got what he could for us ... "we need to wipe out the liberals in Congress". But when Obama compromises, lefty radio and MSNBC want to run Hillary or Dean against him in the primaries because "he's got no spine". For such smart people, the expectations were a high, still are about what a President can actually do with Congress, and they also show to me why the left can't ever keep power. I facepalm and keep thinking here we go again. IMO Obama will go as left as the Congress will allow (he campaigned against a mandate for HCR recall but w 60 in Senate he had no choice but to include it, he went lefter, and they got it). He definitely is willing to compromise well short if thats what it takes to get it done, to move the ball. IMO Congress is the problem and all this negative chatter from right and left is going hurt come 2012 everywhere.
ReplyDeleteBTW, agree on W. His worst moment was getting made fun of by Kanye? Not the actual lives and $1T of Iraq mistake/lie? Not the actual lives impacted/lost by Katrnia? He makes me puke, literally sick to my stomach. I am now.