No excuses for not supporting the President

Last December President Obama rewarded the GOP hostage takers by giving in to their demands in exchange for unemployment benefits for those hurt by the Bush recession.  This was meant to spare them some of the pain that their continued long term unemployment was inflicting upon them even as the wealthiest of us continued to collect a disproportionate benefit and agitate for even lower tax burdens –which are at their lowest level in our lifetimes. Yes there will be liars who will play statistical games to fit their arguments but as more of the country’s wealth was being concentrated at the upper end it was being taxed at a lower rate than if the wealth was more fairly distributed.

Today the GOP & Tea Holes are employing the same strategy to force the President & over 70% of the population into their fix for the economy.  Their solution defies the opinion of many economists - the fix can't be accomplished through reduced spending alone - the math just doesn't work.  In addition it would mean reneging on the promise of Social Security & Medicare we've made to all. The GOP & DEMS should want to avoid this for many reasons that would appeal to both their senses but seem hell bound to further afflict the poor, sick and/or elderly with hardships caused by the economy devastated by those whom have already benefited by help from our Treasury. If we can help the banks & investment houses – the playgrounds of the rich and idle rich – why can’t we help real people?

 So today the GOP & Tea Holes believe that they only have to stay the course & our President will once again capitulate. The President has only himself to blame for this situation because of his earlier cave-ins.  In addition, the report of his comment to the traitor Eric Cantor to “not call my bluff” can only add to the GOP’s confidence in their chosen strategy.  At this point I’d like to say to all concerned it is immoral to use people as the means to their ends.

Today the unemployment benefits are largely expired & the taxes we so badly need are untouchable for at least a year. The Tea Holes have been so empowered by the mismanagement of the situation by both the White House and John Boehner that they have made a Constitutional amendment forcing balanced budgets a condition to their agreement to raise the debt ceiling.  Meanwhile, the White House once again removed a bargaining position early – the 14^th Amendment – from consideration – for why? 

 In hindsight we would call this a lose-lose situation. The pain the President tried to avoid in December will be felt by the ever expanding number of unemployed and any help- in the way of restored revenues is still going into the banks of the non-job creators. 

The President's base may not be happy about this situation but this is not a call to abandon him. Many of us – me included – have been outspoken about our dissatisfaction with these events.  However, I have not forgotten why I voted for him – the situation with which we were faced required a higher intellect than the C-student that ran the previous administration – an intellect that was evidenced by Barack Obama’s resume. I'm counting on this now & hope he is doing what should/can be done.  I don't like the reports about the various "deals" - it leaves me unsure about where our country is going in the long term & how we take care of our own. However, we should remember that President Barack Obama is doing better by us than the McCain-Palin option - perhaps setting Grandma off on an ice flow instead of facing fictitious "death panels" that Sarah Palin lied so happily about.

But if your support for our President is still lagging remember what has transpired with the Supreme Court's recent decisions. We need to have President Obama re-elected & strengthened by a Democratic Congress to protect our basic freedoms from further erosion. Yes I get mad about what’s going on too but I think I would be really dumb to let emotions get in the way of our freedoms.

Support the President, vote Democratic & call out the BS when & where you see or hear it. - Fortitude my friends!