WHAT HAPPENED IN 29 DAYS?

It seems that the presidential election was a long time ago, but it has only been 29 days. Within that short period of time the dialog has changed dramatically, and it defies my imagination that there is so little discussion appearing in/on our main stream media sources explaining the shift in emphasis.

Prior to the election Barrack Obama was calling for significant change and promised tax relief for 95% of our citizens, although a substantial percentage of those people did not even pay income taxes. Back on November 5th I pledged my support of our new president-elect even though I did not vote for him. On that same day all the media outlets were praising the arrival of a new day and the fact that a wondrous, unique event had occurred with his election.

Now the media (newspapers-magazines-radio-television) have taken a substantially softer tone, and there is even talk that President-Elect Obama may not increase taxes on the upper 5% and may decide to permit the Bush tax cut policy to run its course until it is set to expire in 2011. All of a sudden Obama has softened his position on the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, and he is now talking about an orderly withdrawal over an extended period of time. The man who called for big changes is now appointing many old Washington hands to his Cabinet and/or top level positions.

Don’t you find it interesting that reality has set in with the coming administration’s pronouncements? Your Commander finds it most revealing that the message that got Obama elected is no longer appropriate for the Obama that will lead our nation.

Prior to the election the main street media was falling all over itself praising Obama as the answer to all our needs and the solver of all problems, but now they have the unmitigated gall to say “We do not really know who Barack Obama really is”. That is a direct quote from NBC’s Tom Brokaw the day after the election. If that is true, then the media did a damn poor job vetting Obama, and thus failed to meet their obligation to serve the electorate. It is now my opinion that our media is already running for cover. Why?

Now that President-Elect Obama awaits inauguration and is briefed daily by the current administration, he realizes that his future job will be much more difficult than he originally anticipated. Uninformed perception is not reality. Obviously our president-elect is recognizing that all the things he promised to get elected are not going to be possible once he steps into the White House, because there is just so much money to go around. It should be interesting to see what our new president will do when all the sources of voter obligations start appearing in the Oval Office demanding their share of the spoils. I’m betting the Unions and the entitlement crowd will be the first to turn on their President when he cannot deliver their promised pork.

Our Democrat controlled Congress is running for cover too, because they cannot wait to throw money at the current economic crisis. Lack of Congressional oversight by Committee Chairmen is partially responsible for our current economic crisis, but don’t expect any acceptance of responsibility from Washington, only fingers pointed at other sources. With over 70% of the voters opposing the bail-out of the automobile industry, our Congress does not have the guts to tell the union leadership that they must face the facts and accept huge concessions.

Apparently our new President realizes the buck stops at his desk in the Oval Office, and already members of his own party like Reid and Pelosi are demanding a strong voice. Good luck President-Elect Obama, because the ball is now in your court and you can no longer continue to blame the Bush administration for all the problems on this planet. I can only wonder what will happen in the next 29 days?

COMMANDER GRANGER