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Copyright 2010 - Fannin County Democratic Party

Vice President, Joe Biden, May 31st

Arlington National Cemetery

"They lived with integrity. They served nobly. They gave everything. They fought for what they believed in. And maybe most importantly, they believed in something bigger than themselves. They believed in all of you. They believed in all of us. And they believed in America."

Citizens’ Call         June  2010

an e-mag on citizen information

NO, THESE FOLK CAN’T DRIVE!

Gene Marshall

Bonham Citizen

President Obama got it right with he said that Republicans drove the car into the ditch, have opposed Democratic efforts to get it out, and are now asking for the keys.  “No,” Obama says,  “these folk can’t drive!”

Surely, we have not forgotten Katrina and the devastation of New Orleans.  Republican government response to this disaster was disorganized, poorly led, and corrupt.  On top of an already horrific situation, Republican leadership drove the relief car into the ditch.

Starting the Iraq war, managing the Iraq war, allowing torture -- such things cannot be excused or forgotten.  This was very poor driving.

The U.S. banking crisis that has almost taken down the entire world economy was set up by the deregulation of the banking industry and governmental pampering of these rich Republicans.  There is also blame for Democrats on this, but mostly this was Republican driving, and they are still asking for the keys to drive down this same road.

As we get to the bottom of what led up to the BP oil spill in the Gulf, again we find collusion between governmental non-regulation and BP haste for profit. Basically, this is more bad driving by Republican leadership.  And Republicans are still opposing Democratic efforts to correct this.

Republicans want us to forget their bad driving and even blame Obama for the problems they created. Then they oppose his efforts at correction.  And finally, they blame Obama for his corrections, or for his failures to quickly correct their mistakes.  This is an intentional strategy of NO NO NO and NO. They can’t beat Obama in a reasoned, creative debate, so they opt for this obstructionist game. Their hypocrisy and intentional misinformation is so bad, it is puzzling why anyone takes them seriously.

President Obama is surely vulnerable to creative criticism, given all the complex and controversial issues he has to handle.  But the persistent Republican attacks are not creative criticism.

For those of us who want to assist Obama to even better policies, this circumstance puts us in a bind.  We have to make our critical suggestions and at the same time defend Obama from this scourge of Republican lies.

Frank Schaeffer (who was one of the organizers of the religious right years ago and has since seen the error of this approach) recently made these interesting remarks about Obama:

 

“....Presidents are made great by horrible circumstances combined with character, temperament, and intelligence. Like firemen, cops, doctors or soldiers, presidents need a crisis to shine.

Obama is one of the most intelligent presidents to ever step forward in American history. The likes of his intellectual capabilities have not been surpassed in public life since the Founding Fathers put pen to paper. His personal character is also solid gold. Take heart, America: we have the leader for our times.

...Obama has a reservoir of personal, physical courage that is unmatched in presidential history. Why unmatched? Take a look at the signs the Tea Party people carry. Take a look at the weapons they carry. As the first black president, Obama is in great physical danger from the seemingly unlimited reserve of unhinged racial hatred, and just plain unhinged ignorant hatred, that swirls in the bowels of our country. By stepping forward to lead, Obama has literally put his life on the line for all of us in a way no white president ever has had to do. His health care reform victory just made his life more dangerous. What personal risk have his critics taken? What courage was required to snipe from the sidelines?

...Obama brings a healing and uplifting spiritual quality to our politics at the very time when our worst enemy is fear. For eight years we were ruled by a stunted fear-filled mediocrity -- Bush -- who expanded his power on the basis of creating fear in others. Fearless Obama is the cure. He speaks a litany of hope rather than a litany of terror. Bush legalized torture. Obama just legalized health care for all. Which line would you rather stand in?

....Obama brings a moral clarity to his leadership reserved for those who have had to work for everything they've gotten and had to do twice as well as the person standing next to them because of the color of their skin. His experience of succeeding in spite of his color, social background and prejudice could have been embittering or one that fostered a spiritual rebirth of forgiveness and enlightenment. Obama radiates the calm inner peace of the spirit of forgiveness. Doubters from the left and right just look cranky by comparison...

...A hundred years from now Obama's portrait will be placed next to that of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. Long before that we'll be telling our children and grandchildren that we stepped out in faith and voted for a young black man who stood up and led our country back from the brink of an abyss.  We'll tell them about the power of love, faith and hope. We'll tell them about the power of creativity combined with humility and intellectual brilliance.  We'll tell them that President Obama gave us the gift of regaining our faith in our country.... “

I agree with this, even though I find Obama way too moderate on most issues for my liking.  Nevertheless, I give him the benefit of the doubt, given the horrific resistance in our nation for the changes we need.  I intend to continue fighting for far more change than Obama will achieve.  But I also intend to give thanks for Obama, and for his role in reversing the overwhelming destructive trends that have gripped our nation.

In elections this year, I intend to vote for and encourage others to vote for the most forward-looking Democrats who volunteer for public service. I want to support the spark of momentum that has been set in motion by the Obama Presidency.  I want to sideline the Party of NO.  Yes, I am willing to punish even the few decent Republicans left in that Party for their participation in that now reactionary organization.