Obama Fiddles While Venezuela Burns
President Obama signed a stimulus bill that has frightened the markets to death.
I don’t care, and neither should you. Either it will work or it won’t. If it works, Obama will take credit. If it fails he will blame his predecessor. Either way, if the legislation was that vital, Obama would not have waited five days to sign it.
There are several things that can be gleaned from watching this stimulus fiasco.
First of all, Obama is gutless. He will not stand up to Nancy Pelosi. It seems his Secretary of State is the only one with a brass pair, outside of the Pelosiraptor.
What Obama should have done is gotten the Pelosiraptor in a room, and acted like Morgan Freeman in “Lean on me.” He should have let her know that he is the H.N.I.C. (Head n-word in charge). Or he could have let Rahm Emanuel do it, since using this analogy Obama is more like Robert Guillaume (For those who remember, Guillaume, and not Freeman, was the real HNIC).
How can this man stand up to Kim Jong Il when he is scared of the Pelosiraptor? He needs to remind her that he won the votes of 52% of all Americans while she received the votes of a few thousand lunatics that were torn between her and Cindy Sheehan. The Pelosiraptor bellowed, and he caved.
The second concern is that maybe Obama is not gutless. Maybe he is just lazy. He genuinely seems to enjoy campaigning. However, like his Democratic Party predecessor, he is starting to appear that he is more of a show horse than a work horse.
Governing is not sexy. It is nuts and bolts. It is often frustrating, as well as colossally and mind numbingly boring. Perhaps Obama wants to “be” President. Yet that is not the same as “doing.”
For all his many flaws, Bill Clinton liked the nuts and bolts of policy. As for the last two republican Presidents, they did plenty of things right. They just did not need the emotional validation of victory laps.
It is way too soon to declare Barack Obama anywhere near the narcissist that Bill Clinton was, but traveling across the country for an elaborate signing ceremony does seem too fit into his self-loving image. Yes, all Presidents have had such ceremonies, but given the “seriousness” of this bill, was all the pomp and circumstance enough? Perhaps he simply wants a four year inauguration.
I have little to say about the bill itself, because there is little to say. It is a mish mosh of leftist corruption. Yet I am not blaming Obama for this because he did not write the thing. He should have, but he didn’t. He outsourced it to the San Francisco Mafia.
My only question is about other issues. While the Pelosiraptor was writing this bill, what was President Obama actually doing? America is not a monarchy. Unlike the Queen of England, America cannot and should not pay a salary to somebody whose sole qualification is waving and saying hello.
I am concerned about this because while I believe the stimulus bill was a disaster, domestic policy will not end America. Foreign policy can kill us if done badly. Just ask Jimmy Carter. No, wait. Don’t. He would lie.
It is one thing for Nancy Pelosi to write leftist bills to fend off challenges from Cindy Sheehan. It is another for Cindy Sheehan’s hero Hugo Chavez to seize power for life while America says and does nothing.
For those who are more interested in arcane parliamentary procedural battles than actual actions, a quick update is necessary. Venezuelan thug Hugo Chavez has just gotten a referendum passed that moves him one step closer to being dictator for life. For those who liked Cuba under Fidel Castro (Put your hands down liberal Democrats), you will love the new Venezuela.
Some are asking what Obama could actually do. I mean he is new on the job. He cannot work miracles.
No, but he should do something. He has it backwards. On domestic policy, where he should get out of the way, he takes bold and decisive action after a five day layoff. Yet when the bully pulp[it is needed, he is taking a victory lap over a spending bill. Then again, for Democrats, defeating Republicans is more important because Republicans are the true enemy.
At the very least Obama could have offered one of his meaningless platitudes. He could have said that Chavez’s actions were “not helpful.” Heck, he could have really talked tough and called the action “unacceptable.”
Some will say that since the referendum was passed “Democratically,” that it is legitimate. These are the same people that think that Chicago and Detroit are honestly run.
So why is Obama staying silent about Venezuela and Hugo Chavez?
One theory is because he is unconcerned. His cool, aloof, and detached manner is not an act. He once joked at his own expense that he had the ears of Alfred E. Neuman. Maybe he truly does have a “what, me worry?” attitude.
If this is the explanation, then he is more naive than I thought. Yet a more sinister theory abounds.
Perhaps President Obama is pleased with Chavez seizing absolute power. Chavez is a socialist, and Democrats have tended to hate dictators unless they are leftists dictators. In all fairness, Republicans have in the past supported right wing strongmen.
We saw what happened to Cuba. Is Barack Obama going to allow Venezuela to destroy a country that was making incredible progress in terms of freedom and liberty?
Time will tell.
Again, it has only been a few days since this hostile takeover occurred. However, he needs to say something.
No, I am not advocating that we bomb Venezuela. While I would not lose sleep if some special forces took him out, I am not even advocating that. However, this is a major foreign policy event, and he has to say something. Venezuela has oil, and oil runs the world.We cannot have another oil producing nation that is hostile towards Western ideals.
The clock is ticking. Mr. President, politics stops at the water’s edge. I disagreed with you on the stimulus bill, but I will stand squarely behind you if you do something…anything…to slow the march of Venezuela from a once thriving democracy into a communist dictatorship.
eric
February 18th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Nah, Chavez is to Obama what Che was to Castro.
Obamas having a hard time just maintaining the safeguards Bush left in place for us let alone have the balls to go after any other threats.
I mean really, c’mon, Hillary tells N. Korea, whos seeking nuke power, that lauching a missle with intercontinental capabilities is “Not helpful”?
Do you really think Obama will do squat against Chavez in the face of these BS green initiatives and oil independence measures that wont take root for years ?.
Maybe they way things look right now with Mexico, and if Obama had any guts, we should just invade and take over Venezuela ? Hell, we could hand it over to Mexico and kill a whole bunch of birds with one stone.
Just think (bear with me) The Venezuelans would be freed of the impending tyranny, we could just hand Venezuela over to Mexico which would boost their economy and trade between us in a heart beat to the point this stimulus wouldnt even be needed. Mexico is our #2 trade partner as it is already, we could aproach the Coca situation with more fortitutude being Venezuela will be Mexican territory, illegal immigrants would dwindle to almost nothing.
I’ll bet the Mexicans wouldnt totally toss the idea if we brought it up, specially in 5 or 10 years when Venezuela starts looking like Cuba times a 100.
Its a thought, not ready for any liberal administration.
February 18th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I tried looking but can’t find it anywhere in this post - what exactly should Obama “stand up” to Pelosi about??? I have no idea what you’re talking about.
As for Chavez, his power is fading. This last referendum got only 54% of the vote. With oil prices back down, and the opposition coopting his social stands, Venezuela appears to be stabilizing. There was a great article on this I read the other day… http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-venez-q-a17-2009feb17,0,1990301.story
I love this line from the interview: “Chavez would love to have another Bush in the White House. He was a gift from God for someone like Chavez. But with Obama, Chavez will have to act with prudence and intelligence. He knows he can’t treat Obama the same way as Bush. He knows Obama is intelligent and flexible and will manage the empire with less stupidity than Bush did.”
JMJ
February 18th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Figures.
That line is stupid, and an incredibly naive vision of Chavez..
and Bush.
Now, I’m gonna go draw all my cash outta the bank and not pay my mortgage so yous’ all can chip in on it.
: tried looking but can’t find it anywhere in this post - what exactly should Obama “stand up” to Pelosi about??? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
gee, I dont know, being the wimp he is went and let Pelosi load the bill up with whatever she wanted ?
Keep lookin, if you think the LA Times quote was great you’ll probably not find anything.
February 18th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Yeah, I figured you guys would like that quote. The truth is - Bush was a God send to every enemy of America. The perfect patsy.
So, what exactly did Pelosi “load” on the bill that Obama didn’t “stand up” to her about? Really. I have no idea what you rightwingers are going on about here.
JMJ
February 18th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I think Obama does want to get rid of Pelosi, but not because of ideological disagreement. His main problem with her is that she is a completely ineffective Speaker and she has had the temerity to question “the one” on several occasions. My guess is that he’ll encourage Steney Hoyer to challenge her and then throw both of them under the bus - replacing them with someone just as left-liberal but more deferential.
Also, although I agree that Chavez is clearly bad for both Venezuela and for the wider world (especially in linking up with Cuba and Iran) the problem is that, like Putin, he has learnt the art of gradually moving towards totalitarianism and communism, while still leaving enough democracy intact so that he can’t be isolated by the US.
On a different note, Eric’s previous post (and some of the replies) raised an interesting question - if one found the ideal climate - how long would it take before one got bored with it (just like Bill Hick’s ” Los Angeles, every day hot and sunny, today hot and sunny, tomorrow hot and, for the rest of the… hot and sunny, every single day, hot and sunny.day”). I’m thinking about possibly making the move from London to the distant LA suburbs in the near future, but one of the things that I’m concerned about is how quickly my appreciation for the Southern California weather would dissipate.
February 18th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
JMJ;
“The truth is - Bush was a God send to every enemy of America.’
Yea, the typical ideoligical stupidty we see in an attempt to make the only man who ever really did anything about radical Islam while defending Americans look bad.
Nice try, but that kind of stupidty is usually accepted over at the KOS or a Cindy Sheehan rap session and passes you off as nothing more than a hate filled ideolog with permament BDS chip implanted on the frontal lobe.
February 18th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
So… what I’d like clarified is this:
Why do we give a damn what Venezuala does?
Communism in the style of Castro is going to fail. So let ‘em. Why is it our responsibility to try and stop them?
I just really don’t get why people care about a halfwit leading a bunch of lemmings over a cliff.
And to answer the tipsters question about weather- I grew up in London (Shepherds Bush/Hammersmith area) and have lived in LA for the past 15 years. There is enough variation in the weather to not get bored.
Course, I personally don’t like LA at all, and am about to move to the East Coast. But the weather is really nice, especially if you favor 2 wheels instead of 4.
One thing you will miss though- public transport here sucks. And you can’t get decent fish and chips. But the weather is great for riding…
February 18th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Jersey.
Obama said that this bill is about jobs.
Heres what Pelosi handed him
Aquaculture Operations: Provides $5 million for payments to “aquaculture operations and other persons in the U.S. engaged in the business of breeding, rearing, or transporting live fish” (such as shellfish, oysters and clams) to cover economic losses incurred as a result of an emergency order issued by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on October 24, 2006.
Spinach: Provides $25 million for payments to spinach producers that were unable to market spinach crops as a result of the FDA Public Health Advisory issued on September 14, 2006.
Hurricane Citrus Program: Provides $100 million to provide assistance to citrus producers (such as orange producers) in the area declared a disaster related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
NASA: Provides $35 million to NASA, under the “exploration capabilities” account, for “expenses related to the consequences of Hurricane Katrina.”
Corps of Engineers: Provides $1.3 billion to Corps of Engineers for continued repairs on the levee system in New Orleans.
FEMA: Provides $4.3 billion for disaster relief at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The bill would eliminate the state and local matching requirements for certain FEMA assistance (in connection with Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, and Dennis) in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Florida, and provides that the federal portion of these costs will be 100%.
HUD Indian Housing: Provides $80 million in tenant-based rental assistance for public and Indian housing under HUD. Crop Disaster Assistance: Provides roughly $3 billion in agriculture assistance to crop producers and livestock owners experiencing losses in 2005, 2006, or 2007 due to bad weather.
Shrimp: Provides $120 million to the shrimp industry for expenses related to the consequences of Hurricane Katrina.
Frozen Farmland: Provides $20 million for the cleanup and restoration of farmland damaged by freezing temperatures during a time period beginning on January 1, 2007 through the date of enactment.
Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Program: Provides $283 million for payments under the MILC program, to extend the life of the program for one year, through September 30, 2008. MILC provides payments to dairy farmers when milk prices fall below a certain rate.
Peanut Storage Subsidies: Provides $74 million to extend peanut storage payments through 2007. The Peanut Subsidy Storage program, which is set to expire this year, pays farmers for the storage, handling, and other costs for peanuts voluntarily placed in the marketing loan program.
FDA Office of Women’s Health: Provides $4 million for the Office of Women’s Health at the Food and Drug Administration.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Provides $60.4 million for fishing communities, Indian tribes, individuals, small businesses, including fishermen, fish processors, and related businesses for assistance related to “the commercial fishery failure.” According to the Committee Report, this funding is to be used to provide disaster relief for those along the California and Oregon coast affected by the “2006 salmon fishery disaster in the Klamath River.”
Avian Flu: Provides $969 million for the Department of HHS to continue to prepare and respond to an avian flu pandemic. Of this funding, $870 million is to be used for the development of vaccines.
Secure Rural Schools Act (Forest County Payments): Provides $400 million to be used for one-time payments to be allocated to states under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. This program provides a funding stream (known as forest county payments) to counties with large amounts of Bureau of Land Management land, in order to compensate for the loss of receipt-sharing payments on this land caused by decreased revenue from timber sales due to environmental protections for endangered species. The authorization for these forest county payments expired at the end of FY 2006, and counties received their last payment under the Act in December 2006.
LIHEAP: Provides $400 million for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Vaccine Compensation: Provides $50 million to compensate individuals for injuries caused by the H5N1 vaccine, which is a flu vaccine. Payment to Widow of Rep. Norwood: Provides $165,200 to Gloria W. Norwood, the widow of former Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA), an RSC Member, who passed away last month. In the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2005 (H.R. 1268), Congress provided $162,100 to Doris Matsui, the widow of former Rep. Robert Matsui.
Capitol Power Plant: Provides $50 million to the Capitol Power Plant for asbestos abatement and safety improvements. Liberia: Provides that money appropriated for FY 2007 for the Bilateral Economic Assistance program at the Department of Treasury may be used to assist Liberia in retiring its debt arrearages to the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the African Development Bank.
SCHIP: Provides $750 million to the Secretary of HHS to provide assistance to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) “shortfall states,”, in the form of an amount “as the Secretary determines will eliminate the estimated shortfall.” This provision is direct spending that is essentially capped at $750 million and designated as an emergency to avoid PAYGO constraints.
Minimum Wage Increase: Increases the federal minimum wage from $5.15-per-hour to $7.25-per-hour over two-plus years-a 41% increase. Yields $16.5 billion in private-sector costs over five years.
Tax Increases and Shifts: Implements several tax increases and shifts, including: denying the lowest maximum capital gains tax rate for certain minors and adults, extending the suspension of interest payments due to the IRS, and adjusting the deadlines for corporate estimated tax payments. Costs taxpayers $1.380 billion over the FY2007-FY2017 period.
February 18th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Okay, okay, I admit, I’ve had it with the perfidy of the Obama administration, the exreme leftists in the Democratic Party, Nancy Pelosi’s partisanship statements, and the entire foreign policy team that the President has gathered around him. (What has Holbrooke ever accomplished other than Ireland? Ireland?)
I voted for McCain of course and am now happier that I did.
John recently was critical of Obama’s non reach to the Republicans, one
of the pillars of his campaign.
Looking at four weeks of his administration, he has virtually reneged or reversed himself on every campaign pledge…sooooo, I’m pledging more
to the Republican National Committee and reaching out to my brethren to do similarly.
Regarding South America, we face an axis of evil there, as well as
the continuing axis in the M.E….not to forget No. Korea.
Read John Bolton’s op-ed in today’s LA Times for the RIGHT truth. Even though
that left-wing paper was strongly for Obama, it does occasionally permit
those on the right both politically and economically to use the paper
as a forum. Maybe the fact that the paper is about to fall over the cliff (it is charging 40% more for a daily paper and has left go most of it’s staff), has awakened it’s editor to broadening it’s appeal? But I do miss Max
Boot.
John and John, two super patriots who have the RIGHT ideas of how this
country should and MUST FUNCTION to thrive and perhaps, survive.
Bolton blasted Hillary’s approach towards our (US) foreign policy..one of
meet and deal, engage and talk, look to dipolmacy ( sound familar?).
Sure, let’s meet and deal with Ahmad whose country (despite 3 UNSC
resolutions) may have fissionable material for one low yield bomb, with
two more within the next 6 months, aggravated commensurate with
it’s continuing addition of those centrifuges and secret work on “Heavy
water”. We learn from intelligence testimony before Congress, that it now
has the capability of firing and reaching (with nukes) Europe, the entire M.E. and the US forces within 1,000 miles. It’s recent satillete orbited with a No. Korean (hear that, No. Korean) type rocket, can be expanded into a 3 stage long range missile.
North korea will test, (despite Hillary’s pleadings) a long range missile, capable of reaching Los Angeles..get it, Los Angeles. It claims it is for
scientific research only.
Sooooo, my part of the country is theatened by No. Korean nukes,
while Europe has a problem with Iran. Oh, I forgot, with Al Qaeda and
the Taliban now controlling Afghanistan …will they again explode
on our shores (thanks to Iran and No. Korea) a crude but effective
nuclear device?
Venezuela has lots and lots of oil, in fact, so much, it’s sales finance
more than one-half of it’s budget yearly.
The suggestions on this blog site, about how to deal with it are somewhat
futile. The simply answer is to boycott their oil. Now that will send the RIGHT MESSAGE TO Chavez.
Obama should have used this leverage to warn Venezuela NOT to vote
for indefinite terms for it’s legislators and President.
I for one, will never purchase any import from that country. Other countries boycott constantly, so why not US?
Speaking of Pelosi, she was instrumental in not approving a more
viable trade agreement with Columbia…something about insurgents
and treatment of minors.
Obama, while softening his approach to the NAFTA (see Canada), could
if he had balls as big as his ears, force the issue (despite Pelosi).
Hint, hint, Mr. Obama.
To be honest, I have been pleased to watch Obama and his liberal
advisers (who are really more moderate) work.
Now if only we could collect some of the 300 billion year due the IRS (and US) to pay back the trillions being spent on the bail-out of nitwits
and people who should have been satisfied to RENT their homes, apts,
condos, townhouses, shacks, cabins, etc.
February 18th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I don’t know where you guys get this stuff about Obama and Pelosi. My guess would be Fox “News” and AM Hate Radio. You guys sound like the American politcal version News of the World. Really, it’s like listening to a bunch of gossipy little girls with no clue in the world what they’re gossiping about. I ask for a substantive example of what exactly Obama should “stand up” to Pelosi about, and all I get is a list of rightwing complaints about the stimulus bill. Bla bla bla. YEah, I know, I’ve been reading the bill. It’s a mixed bag, but rife with typical DC pork that both the Dems and Reps are equally notorious for - like piles of money for Ag. But most of the money WILL help to create and sustain jobs, even the Ag money. So I have no idea what you think the problem Obama should have with it. It’s very close to exactly what he wanted. It’s just not what YOU wanted and you like to project yourselves on others who don;t agree with you in the first place. It’s stupid, really.
As for Venezuela, I get the feeling the rightwing isn’t really up to date, as usual. That, or they’re just trying to stir up the usual hate and fear. Venezuela, if anything, has been stabilizing, and the opposition to Chavez has been coopting his social programs and becoming more and more popular, pragmatic, and peacably accruing power. In a way, it’s sad. Chavez has done some great things for Venezuela. But he and his administration had become very paranoid, understandably so, a long time ago, and feel strongly that only a Voltairian “Good King” can rescue Venezuela from generations of patrician oligarchy and the damage it’s done to the people and their society. Given today’s world, the Good King is just not a viable option for them, let alone even an objectively measurable goal. They, and the Venezuelan people, seem to be realizing this more and more every day. They’re going to have to find a new path toward the future.
JMJ
February 18th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Yea right Jersey.
Any fool thats the least bit informed knows that Reid and Pelosi practically wrote the whole bill themselves.
So tell me, what on that list is going to provide so many jobs that Onama keeps implying we need right away ?
Yea, it figures you would support some shmuck who stands in front of the United Nations and calls the presidente “el diablo” and you can still smell the sulphur. And has the king of Spain tell em to his face to “shut up”
Hes a punk, I’d like to air drop him into Northern Pakistan so he can see how people who think like him would treat him
March 15th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
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