Calliope’s Hearth

Re: President’s Actions

There has been a lot on the news lately about the concerts and speeches that President Obama has been having, and yesterday my mother made a comment along the lines of how she wished the President would stop grandstanding and start doing something. To which I replied – what would you have him do, Mom? The bill already passed, and I’m not sure that it’s really the President’s job to get in there and facilitate its movement through the senate; it’s not as though he is a member of congress, after all, able to stand on the floor and be involved in that process – his job is to sign the bill. He did that – and he undoubtedly worked very hard to get the bill passed, one way of doing so is to advertise on the television about the perks of the bill and another way is to make speeches to the legislators.

So what are you complaining about, Mom?

Would you prefer he be flying to and fro across the world, politicking at high levels with OPEC, or poking his nose into the Palestine issues? With our economy the way it is, and public (national as well as global) opinion so deeply opposed to American interference in other countries’ business, I can’t be upset that he’s staying in the States and trying to keep morale up… and what’s more, I don’t think it’s fair of people to attack him for not accomplishing anything. The bill was passed, and the country is still optimistic.

On a similar note, my mother also complained about the current First Lady being involved in fashion and People magazine, etc – to which I replied, would you prefer she be grandstanding at Congress and pretending that she has a role in the actual government? Because frankly, I’m content with her being a fashion icon. Better that then her using her husband’s popularity to support her own soapbox, like some First Ladies I could name.

Filed by Cally at February 27th, 2009 under Tags: legislation, mom, obama