I'm starting a new label for the blog this morning: the Limits of the Presidency. W. and his team had limits, despite how we feel. They didn't repeal public education, or privatize social security, or invade Iran, or repeal Roe V. Wade. He had limits. Sometimes, it feels like they didn't have limits, but they did. And -- their team lost this election. So he only got to steal two.
Obama has limits now. Lots and lots of them. To be elected President, I'm absolutely positive you have to get in bed with most of the same powers that supported the last president. I'm not expecting miracle-working from this guy, quite the opposite. I'm expecting business-as-usual, with some bright spots.
I'll give the downer news first: it doesn't look like the Obama team is going to go after the Bushies for the very flagrant and obvious war crimes they committed. See this Truthout article on the subject.
On the bright side, it really looks like they will close Guantanamo. See this Washington Post article. That's huge. Very very huge.
So I'm going to keep my eye on this administration and continue to write letters and push and agitate and communicate for change, because to push at them is to push at the powers behind all the recent presidents.
This guy's not a messiah, nor is he the anti-christ (and there are VERY dedicated folks in both those camps, believe me). He's just another president that we have to keep honest.
Enjoy keepin' on keepin' on,
Bp
8 comments:
Going after Bush for war crimes would be a national distraction from the immediate needs of the economy, war & Guantanamo.
I see it as a defense of habeaus corpus and the constitution.
I don't see why the government couldn't multi-task.
Geez, give the guy a chance!
I think the guy is dandy. It's the system I don't trust as far as I could throw it.
He was behind bailout, and against going after phone companies for illegal wiretapping -- I'm not just projecting into the future, he's shown a few cards already.
And, I very much look forward to what he WILL be able to pull off. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite relieved he won.
I'm going to laugh when I see my first IMPEACH OBAMA bumper sticker.
There should be a betting pool as to when that will happen. Because it absolutely will.
Can you think of a president in living memory who wasn't called to be impeached or tried after they left office? I can't.
IMPEACH!
Bush Jr--yes
Clinton-yes
Bush Sr-yes
Regan-yes
Carter-no
Ford-no
Nixon-yes
Johnson-no
JFK, Ike, Truman, Roosevelt-No
I think Nixon started the IMPEACH! movement in recent history.
the only reason that roe v wade wasn't repealed is that, just like bin-laden, they need it as a boogey-man to push agendas. remember, US led forces pulled back and handed the capture of bin-laden to the locals at tora bora, who where sympathetic to al-qaeda.
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