Obama, Outlandishly Normative (And Not The Radical You Dreamed Or Feared He Was)

When Obama recently did his question and answer with Republicans last week, he pointed out to them that if the opposition joins in demonizing him with outlandish inaccuracy, that it would make it impossible for them to do necessary compromises to reach a deal. The adjacent but obvious point was that the Republicans ought not to nix every piece of legislation just because they don't get everything they want, especially given the reality that they are the minority and that the Democrats have accepted Republican proposals they themselves did not favor.

My guess is that Republicans will learn nothing from the exchange, just as they learn nothing from the ridiculousness of beginning a meeting with the the black president they have demonized, by reading a letter from a little black child. (The one in a million black child whose family may have voted Republican. And while we think more blacks should be voting Republican, this episode speaks to the nonsense that Republicans are far too adept at pulling off).

Even the idea that Obama is some left wing person intent on destroying the United States and unwilling to stand up for American interests is absurd. He has taken the fight to Afghanistan and other regions as hard or harder than the previous Republican administration. He has called for more nuclear power in addition to offshore drilling and has met weapons commitments from the Bush administration.

Ignoring the question of whether we should be selling weapons to Taiwan, the fact is that we are, and it speaks to Obama not being the person Republicans like to claim he is.

(It's also interesting reading comments by Americans to various articles, with their certainty that Taiwan ought not to be part of China, and despite the fact that using the same logic you could make an argument that Hawaii ought not to be part of the U.S. if they so chose to stray.  In both cases you have land areas largely controlled and populated by peoples from a larger land mass. It's also important to remember that aborigines aside, the people who moved into Taiwan (ROC led by Chiang Kai-shek) and controlled it, worked under the assumption that China proper and China Taiwan were all one one part.)

Even Obama's support for increased nuclear weapons funding is his attempt to compromise with Republicans by making sure our arsenal is modern and secure, while simultaneously seeking Republican support for upcoming nuclear arms reduction deals with the Russians. This tightrope, as Jonathan Landay of McClatchy calls it, is not the work of a man hell bent on pushing the country radically left.

Nor does the arming of certain countries in the Middle East with Patiot Missile systems or adding permanent patrols of Aegis cruisers suggest that Obama is any less concerned with American security than any other president.

Even the President's talk of a spending freeze is reflected in a budget that does not seem the work of a radical. He cuts where he can, leaving entitlements, including defense spending, alone.

The Republicans have painted, and worked the oils on the canvas, and have used grand hyperbole and outright untruth in order to allow themselves to do nothing. The reason they want to do nothing is to preserve the power of action and progress for when they are again in control. That is supreme cynicism and one usually expects, or hopes, that the majority of people in a party can find enough compelling reasons to step out of tactician mode and into the role of governing.

Republicans should be seeking to get their names behind some legislation, accepting joint victory, rather than handing us all total loss.

Other News:

• Jeb is out of the bushes, making noises and sounding presidential. Since we actually like a portion of what the Bush's have done, or hoped to do, we will give him a look when that time comes.

• A British look at why people are stupid, and vote against their own interests. Left out though, are certain liberal tendencies to condescend and dismiss closely held beliefs of many Americans.

• Elective Death movement on the move. Now this is what Palin really should be paying attention to, but since she doesn't really read, it may sneak up on her.

• RINO (Republican In Name Only) Scott Brown supports abortion rights. Maybe Massachusetts voters did know what they were getting. Not sure Republicans did, in praising him and tossing him into robo-calls (thank you McCain).

• Here, the SEC, under Bush, allows investment banks to increase debt, and they do, using it for some rather risky speculations that we are crying over today. Slate argues that allowing partnerships to go public and increase debt were root causes of our problems. Yea that and people not paying their mortgages.