“For nearly four years you have had an Administration which instead of twirling its thumbs has rolled up its sleeves. We will keep our sleeves rolled up…We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace—business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred.”
This could be remarks by President Barack Obama. Instead, this is part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s reelection speech of 1936.
Any fly on the wall is entertained with my TV rage while listening to pundits and politicians. Many of them attempt to rationalize the uncompromising opposition of certain members in Congress.
I believe there is only one explanation. And, one need not look further than the words spoken and actions displayed.
The Republicans think helping the president helps the president. They do not care that hurting the president hurts the American people.
Tomorrow evening, President Obama will present his jobs plan before a joint session of Congress. My prayer is that President Obama will not present a politically correct jobs proposal.
Rather, he should present a bold, sustainable jobs plan that provides a vision of where this country needs to be five years, 10 years, 20 years from now. Size matters.
Give us a plan proportional to the crisis at hand. For the unemployed American people who are struggling to take care of their families.
Let the other side recklessly oppose what is right for the sake of destroying the president. Apparently, clinging to power is worth the risk of the collateral damage to Republican, Democrat and Independent Americans.
With that being said, I appreciate the president’s efforts. He does not want the perfect to be the enemy of the good. He has been willing to negotiate and compromise. However, that stance is most effective when the other side has pure motives.
In this case, the other side does not. They are hell-bent on regaining power in the White House. By any means necessary. At some point, the president must realize that he is trying to work with people who are not playing fair.
Maya Angelou famously said that when a person tells you who they are – believe them. The Republicans have not minced words since 2009 about their #1 priority.
The Obama Administration is stuck between a rock and a hardened right wing Congress whose sole agenda is to “make President Obama a one-term president.” This reveals that their motives for stalling and unwillingness to compromise have one target.
I am disgusted that Republicans have framed a message that the president has the responsibility of 535 men and women. Not so. President Obama can present a plan; Congress must write and pass the legislation.
Interestingly, most decisions President Obama makes autonomously without Congressional approval is successful: assassinating Osama bin Laden, limiting our involvement in Libya are two examples.
Legislation passed during the 60s and 70s demonstrated that the nation was divided; however, Congress was not easily influenced by that division. They wrote legislation based on what was right, what was good for society.
In this environment, the president could propose the Republican plan for job creation, and they would reject it.
Today, Congress is largely influenced by the division in society, even if it means doing what is wrong for the country. That is the difference and until that fractious difference is repaired, our nation will continue its divisive downward spiral.
