The Senate passed financial reform legislation that President Barack Obama will sign into law next Wednesday. This legislation will address many of the problems that led to the near total collapse of the American economy.
This is the latest in an impressive list of successes by President Obama, which should be winning him praise from Americans and political pundits. Yet the President continues to struggle in national polls and his party's control of Congress is threatened.
Just look at the huge legislative victories the Obama White House has had since taking office. Last year Congress, over fierce Republican opposition, passed a $787 billion stimulus package that has saved or added more than 2.5 million jobs since it was enacted according to many estimates. The president continued the TARP program for ailing banks and invested in the failing American auto industry. The large banks have now repaid their loans with interest and are experiencing robust profits, and the U.S. auto industry is surging back as well.
In an historic move, and following a brutal battle, President Obama was able to sign major health care reform legislation into law, which extends coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans and eliminated pre-existing conditions as an insurance loophole. President Obama also appointed the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice and signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that will enable women to be paid equally to men for their work.
Nonetheless, a stubbornly high unemployment rate and slowly recovering economy, a burgeoning national debt, a catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and two wars, Afghanistan and Iraq, continue to weigh heavily on the Obama presidency. And Republicans are doing all they can to focus the attention of Americans on these issues despite the fact that they had a major hand in creating the mess.
As a consequence, Democrats face the real prospect of losing control of the House of Representatives during this fall's Midterm elections. Of course the party in power usually does suffer loses during these elections, but many Democrats who won in Republican districts because of Obama are now vulnerable.
The Republican agenda is to make this coming election a referendum on President Obama. For sure the president's approval ratings are down. But the Republican Party's approval ratings are significantly lower. And it is no surprise because, other than saying no to health care reform, to financial reform and apologizing to BP for the way it has been treated by the White House, it appears that their big idea is to extend the Bush tax cuts to the wealthy. They do not offer a "Contract with America" that helped them win the 1994 Midterms.
The White House and the Democratic Party must energize voters this November, especially independents, to retain control. This will be a major challenge with unemployment at nearly 10%. It must also get members of the progressive wing of its party to enthusiastically embrace the president's achievements even if they view them as not going far enough.
Democrats, the White House and President Obama must more effectively and passionately communicate to the voters that under their leadership the country is moving in the right direction again. And the focus of their agenda must be to create jobs.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
French Holiday
France is especially beautiful this time of year and teeming with vacationers and tourists. But here it is easy to see the impact of the ongoing economic turmoil that is roiling Europe. This is not to say the French people are despondent, after all it is holiday time in France.
Paris is alive with energy and passion. The banks of the Seine are populated in the evenings with picnickers and young lovers. The sidewalks of Boulevard Saint Germain as well as the Avenue des Champs-Élysée are bustling, even though their stores are not. Boats laden with sightseers slowly make their way past the Ile de la Cite where the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris towers above an endless stream of tourists from around the world. There are also lengthy lines of visitors waiting to ascend to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The World Cup matches in South Africa have captivated the attention most Parisians. Tens of thousands of young men and women gather in a park to watch the matches on a huge television screen regardless of who is playing.
In the richly colorful Provence, with its uniquely blue skies, vibrant trees with varying shades of green and an abundance of pink, purple and yellow flowers, the crowds seem smaller than usual. Clothing and jewelry stores are not full and many display sale signs. Many of the restaurants are not doing well.
In the Cote d'Azur, also known as the French Riviera, carefree crowds fill the beaches from Nice to Monaco and romp in the cool sea. Nonetheless, this wealthy region is not immune to the economic downturn. Many hotels, stores and restaurants are struggling even though this is their most important season for business. Thank goodness for the Russians, they are everywhere. In fact, one hotel employee observed that his hotel is fully booked between June and the end of August and 40% of the bookings are Russians. But, he quickly noted with a smile, "The Americans are coming back!"
France is always wonderful to visit. But some things are a bit annoying. For instance, when are these people going to get the memo about smoking? To France's credit, many cities forbid smoking inside a restaurant, unless you are a star or celebrity. Why don't bathtubs have better drains? Perhaps it is because the local population does not as frequently use showers. Why does it take so many people to get anything done? At one hotel it appeared that a full time person was assigned only to staple documents together, like the final bill.
Of course, you should know that according French law the tip is built in to your restaurant or hotel bill. Yet on credit card receipts the word "tip" appears just below the subtotal. If one asks the waiter whether the tip is included the answer may very well be "no", or the waiter may act as if he has just forgotten his English. He may be thinking, “Thank God the Americans are coming back!”
Paris is alive with energy and passion. The banks of the Seine are populated in the evenings with picnickers and young lovers. The sidewalks of Boulevard Saint Germain as well as the Avenue des Champs-Élysée are bustling, even though their stores are not. Boats laden with sightseers slowly make their way past the Ile de la Cite where the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris towers above an endless stream of tourists from around the world. There are also lengthy lines of visitors waiting to ascend to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The World Cup matches in South Africa have captivated the attention most Parisians. Tens of thousands of young men and women gather in a park to watch the matches on a huge television screen regardless of who is playing.
In the richly colorful Provence, with its uniquely blue skies, vibrant trees with varying shades of green and an abundance of pink, purple and yellow flowers, the crowds seem smaller than usual. Clothing and jewelry stores are not full and many display sale signs. Many of the restaurants are not doing well.
In the Cote d'Azur, also known as the French Riviera, carefree crowds fill the beaches from Nice to Monaco and romp in the cool sea. Nonetheless, this wealthy region is not immune to the economic downturn. Many hotels, stores and restaurants are struggling even though this is their most important season for business. Thank goodness for the Russians, they are everywhere. In fact, one hotel employee observed that his hotel is fully booked between June and the end of August and 40% of the bookings are Russians. But, he quickly noted with a smile, "The Americans are coming back!"
France is always wonderful to visit. But some things are a bit annoying. For instance, when are these people going to get the memo about smoking? To France's credit, many cities forbid smoking inside a restaurant, unless you are a star or celebrity. Why don't bathtubs have better drains? Perhaps it is because the local population does not as frequently use showers. Why does it take so many people to get anything done? At one hotel it appeared that a full time person was assigned only to staple documents together, like the final bill.
Of course, you should know that according French law the tip is built in to your restaurant or hotel bill. Yet on credit card receipts the word "tip" appears just below the subtotal. If one asks the waiter whether the tip is included the answer may very well be "no", or the waiter may act as if he has just forgotten his English. He may be thinking, “Thank God the Americans are coming back!”
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Presidential Leadership
He is not going to be dramatic or emotional, just accept it. He is not going to pound his fists on the table or rant and rave. He is not going to suddenly change course in reaction to daily tracking polls or political pundits. Rather, he thinks long term, listens carefully to diverse opinions, gets information first hand, ponders deeply all of the possible outcomes and implications, and he will always apply a thoughtful process to difficult problems.
It is striking that, for someone who is so addicted to his BlackBerry, President Barack Obama seems to be unmoved by nattering commentators and partisan pundits who are ubiquitous in a multi-channel media world. They fling pithy comments, blog pointed barbs, always with their own spin, in hopes of being the one to get a rise out of the president. The fact that he doesn't lose his cool, or he doesn't raise his voice, drives even his most ardent supporters a little crazy. For sure, the president has had missteps, miscalculations and misjudgments. But in the end he believes all that matters are results.
And what a difference a day makes. President Obama was widely criticized by pundits for delivering an address to the nation Monday night that was "lacking in details." Yet this speech, Obama's first from the Oval Office, crisply covered what had happened, what was being done to fix the problem, and what America has to do to end its dependency on foreign oil. It was a very good speech.
Within hours most of those same critics were praising the president for major concessions he had negotiated from BP. The company has agreed to put $20 billion into an escrow account to be used to pay claims and the cleanup associated with the reckless oil spill that is still gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. Further, BP will put aside $100 million to be used for oil workers idled due to the six-month moratorium on deep-water oil drilling ordered by President Obama. BP also announced that it will not pay its shareholders dividends this year. Together these are significant steps by BP that came together as a result of the president's leadership.
Remarkably, now some Republicans are critical of these concessions. Republican Representative Joe Barton of Texas actually apologized to BP saying, "I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday." Of the escrow fund Barton said, " I think it is a tragedy in the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $20 billion shakedown." And Mississippi's Republican Governor Haley Barbour criticized the fund because he feels the $20 billion would be better invested in more off shore oil drilling and new jobs. Republicans could find themselves backed into a corner if they continue to take positions like these.
Meanwhile the president continues to pressure BP to stop the leak and to focus on the cleanup and claims process. Nothing BP does can bring back the eleven oil workers killed in the initial explosion. Perhaps the oil industry, the regulators and the federal government all can begin to make amends by implementing meaningful regulations for oil drilling and by innovating new sources of energy that would be the beginning of the end of America's dependence on fossil fuels.
President Obama enters the final lap to the 2010 mid term elections with an enormous amount on his plate, both foreign and domestic. The Afghanistan and Iraq wars continue overseas; Iran and North Korea and the threat of nuclear weapons; Israel's security and the Gaza blockade; the growing economic crisis in Europe; America's stubbornly high unemployment rate; the national debt; financial reform; the looming entitlement problem; immigration legislation and security on the border all remain top priorities for the president and his time. Now, because of what may be the greatest man made disaster ever, energy legislation has moved to the head of the line, although there may not be enough time left on the Congressional calender to pass something this year.
The president knows that, just as with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a major crisis can occur at any moment. In such times Americans look to the president for leadership. President Obama has done just about all he can do within his power to take on the Gulf oil spill. No amount of theater and atmospherics would change the reality of the situation. Fixing the problem, compensating all of the victims and cleaning up the mess are the top priorities. So, as we enter the third month of this crisis, President Obama finds himself fully engaged in a crisis that may define the future of his party.
It is striking that, for someone who is so addicted to his BlackBerry, President Barack Obama seems to be unmoved by nattering commentators and partisan pundits who are ubiquitous in a multi-channel media world. They fling pithy comments, blog pointed barbs, always with their own spin, in hopes of being the one to get a rise out of the president. The fact that he doesn't lose his cool, or he doesn't raise his voice, drives even his most ardent supporters a little crazy. For sure, the president has had missteps, miscalculations and misjudgments. But in the end he believes all that matters are results.
And what a difference a day makes. President Obama was widely criticized by pundits for delivering an address to the nation Monday night that was "lacking in details." Yet this speech, Obama's first from the Oval Office, crisply covered what had happened, what was being done to fix the problem, and what America has to do to end its dependency on foreign oil. It was a very good speech.
Within hours most of those same critics were praising the president for major concessions he had negotiated from BP. The company has agreed to put $20 billion into an escrow account to be used to pay claims and the cleanup associated with the reckless oil spill that is still gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. Further, BP will put aside $100 million to be used for oil workers idled due to the six-month moratorium on deep-water oil drilling ordered by President Obama. BP also announced that it will not pay its shareholders dividends this year. Together these are significant steps by BP that came together as a result of the president's leadership.
Remarkably, now some Republicans are critical of these concessions. Republican Representative Joe Barton of Texas actually apologized to BP saying, "I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday." Of the escrow fund Barton said, " I think it is a tragedy in the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $20 billion shakedown." And Mississippi's Republican Governor Haley Barbour criticized the fund because he feels the $20 billion would be better invested in more off shore oil drilling and new jobs. Republicans could find themselves backed into a corner if they continue to take positions like these.
Meanwhile the president continues to pressure BP to stop the leak and to focus on the cleanup and claims process. Nothing BP does can bring back the eleven oil workers killed in the initial explosion. Perhaps the oil industry, the regulators and the federal government all can begin to make amends by implementing meaningful regulations for oil drilling and by innovating new sources of energy that would be the beginning of the end of America's dependence on fossil fuels.
President Obama enters the final lap to the 2010 mid term elections with an enormous amount on his plate, both foreign and domestic. The Afghanistan and Iraq wars continue overseas; Iran and North Korea and the threat of nuclear weapons; Israel's security and the Gaza blockade; the growing economic crisis in Europe; America's stubbornly high unemployment rate; the national debt; financial reform; the looming entitlement problem; immigration legislation and security on the border all remain top priorities for the president and his time. Now, because of what may be the greatest man made disaster ever, energy legislation has moved to the head of the line, although there may not be enough time left on the Congressional calender to pass something this year.
The president knows that, just as with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a major crisis can occur at any moment. In such times Americans look to the president for leadership. President Obama has done just about all he can do within his power to take on the Gulf oil spill. No amount of theater and atmospherics would change the reality of the situation. Fixing the problem, compensating all of the victims and cleaning up the mess are the top priorities. So, as we enter the third month of this crisis, President Obama finds himself fully engaged in a crisis that may define the future of his party.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Blackhawks Win the Stanley Cup!
"Shot and a gooooooaaaal!"
The Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane wristed a shot under the stick of the Philadelphia Flyers' goalie Michael Leighton for the sudden death victory in overtime Wednesday. With that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup Trophy for the first time since 1961.
Kane and Jonathan Toews, the series MVP, and their teammates outmatched the Flyers with speed and talent. The Flyers were tenacious, but they could not overcome the unrelenting Blackhawk offense and strong defense.
Chicago is one of the original six franchises of the National Hockey League. It had been in decline for the last forty years primarily due to stingy ownership. But Rocky Wirtz became owner a couple years ago, taking over for his father, and pledged to bring a trophy to Chicago.
Wirtz focused on bringing in a mixture of proven veterans and a lot of youthful players. This team is deep, every line is loaded with talent. Fast, quick, big bodied, the Blackhawks can be physical as well as graceful. This is the NHL 2010.
The "Golden Jet" Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita led the Blackhawks to their 1961 victory. Hull was a superstar then, fast and quick, he could split the defensemen and then blow a slapshot by the goalie. Today Hull would be just another of the star players on the Blackhawks' roster.
In 1948 my grandmother attended a Blackhawk game during a visit from her home in New Orleans. She loved it so much she reportedly told my dad, "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out"
Last night I watched a hockey game and history was made.
The Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane wristed a shot under the stick of the Philadelphia Flyers' goalie Michael Leighton for the sudden death victory in overtime Wednesday. With that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup Trophy for the first time since 1961.
Kane and Jonathan Toews, the series MVP, and their teammates outmatched the Flyers with speed and talent. The Flyers were tenacious, but they could not overcome the unrelenting Blackhawk offense and strong defense.
Chicago is one of the original six franchises of the National Hockey League. It had been in decline for the last forty years primarily due to stingy ownership. But Rocky Wirtz became owner a couple years ago, taking over for his father, and pledged to bring a trophy to Chicago.
Wirtz focused on bringing in a mixture of proven veterans and a lot of youthful players. This team is deep, every line is loaded with talent. Fast, quick, big bodied, the Blackhawks can be physical as well as graceful. This is the NHL 2010.
The "Golden Jet" Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita led the Blackhawks to their 1961 victory. Hull was a superstar then, fast and quick, he could split the defensemen and then blow a slapshot by the goalie. Today Hull would be just another of the star players on the Blackhawks' roster.
In 1948 my grandmother attended a Blackhawk game during a visit from her home in New Orleans. She loved it so much she reportedly told my dad, "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out"
Last night I watched a hockey game and history was made.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Lady Gaga Goes Gaga
Lady Gaga attended her sister's high school graduation ceremony at the prestigious Sacred Heart Catholic girl's school Tuesday wearing a very revealing gown. Our street was closed because a part of the ceremony took place at the Brick Church which is right across from our house.
Now I ask you, is this dress a bit too much? Does Lady Gaga like being the center of attention? After all, it was her sister's day to bask in the glow of the sun.
And another thought, was this dress cleared in advance by the Bishop or the Vatican? What did the Nuns think of this dress? Perhaps that Lady Gaga has some bad habits?
Friday, June 4, 2010
The Perfect Game
It is a shame that Detroit Tiger pitcher Armando Galarraga was not able to enter the record books for one of baseball's rarest feats. But I cannot recall the names of but a couple of those pitchers who recorded a perfect game. I will always remember how Armando Galarraga handled the blown call.
To err is human. But to immediately admit a mistake, especially one of such historic meaning, is almost against human nature. I will always remember American League umpire Jim Joyce for how he handled his blown call.
To those who say the call should be over turned, I say don't change a thing, do not rewrite history.
This was the ultimate teaching moment. This is the ultimate meaning of sportsmanship. This is one of the greatest moments in any sport, ever.
This was the perfect game.
To err is human. But to immediately admit a mistake, especially one of such historic meaning, is almost against human nature. I will always remember American League umpire Jim Joyce for how he handled his blown call.
To those who say the call should be over turned, I say don't change a thing, do not rewrite history.
This was the ultimate teaching moment. This is the ultimate meaning of sportsmanship. This is one of the greatest moments in any sport, ever.
This was the perfect game.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
"W" on Facebook
Perhaps President George W. Bush now thinks it's safe to raise his profile again. He has allowed his team to create a Facebook page in his name. While it is not possible to "friend" him, it sure is possible for supporters to rave enthusiastically about how they miss him.
What's this all about? Perhaps it has something to do with the gushing oil leak that is likely to continue uncontrolled in the Gulf of Mexico until September? Perhaps it has something to do with the stubborn unemployment rate? Perhaps it has something to do with the midterm elections? I would guess it is part of a GOP strategy to tippy-toe "W" into the spotlight and allow him to help out where he remains popular. Especially since President Barack Obama's personal popularity is sliding because of the ceaseless problems popping up almost daily.
Take a look: http://www.facebook.com/georgewbush
What's this all about? Perhaps it has something to do with the gushing oil leak that is likely to continue uncontrolled in the Gulf of Mexico until September? Perhaps it has something to do with the stubborn unemployment rate? Perhaps it has something to do with the midterm elections? I would guess it is part of a GOP strategy to tippy-toe "W" into the spotlight and allow him to help out where he remains popular. Especially since President Barack Obama's personal popularity is sliding because of the ceaseless problems popping up almost daily.
Take a look: http://www.facebook.com/georgewbush
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