Third World America

Here we are, two weeks into the Obama presidency. As the Bible says, "You will know them by their fruits". What kind of fruit is evident?

• The President has to retake his Oath of Office---both he and the Chief Justice flubbed it.
• In retaking it later, "in an abundance of caution"- he doesn't use a Bible, because, according to press reports, his staff couldn't find one in the White House!
• The President implements a rule that lobbyists will not be selected for critical positions in his administration (without a time delay period before they are eligible)- and promptly breaks the rule, not once, but twice (the VP actually committed the second offense).
• The President tells congressional leaders that he 'reserves the right to "ignore" any Executive Order that he or any past President has promulgated (translation: "I am the Law and I decide which law I obey, if any, or when I feel like it").
• His first television event is on "Al-Arabiya", a network based in Egypt, Barack Hussein Obama addresses the Muslim world. In his first interview, he tells the them that we are their friends. "I have Muslims in my family", says President Barack Hussein Obama.
• Meanwhile, back in the USA, a Stalinist era 'cult of personality' is developing (OK, has developed and is getting stronger) around the new President, to the point that he is portrayed by one artist as Christ entering Jerusalem on a donkey. (No comment heard from the President on this).

If this doesn't sound like 'third world-ism', let's look further afield:

Blago. Need I say more?

Michigan. Coleman v. Franken. Some counties have more votes counted than registered voters,and of course, Franken gets the "excess"votes! Plus, here we are almost 2 months after the election, and it is still not decided.

Tombstone and The Lady. One member of Congress introduces legislation to amend the Constitution so that Governors can't fill vacant Senate seats; he says this is in response to both Blago and the Caroline Kennedy 'debacle'. We think it has more to do with the latter than the former. Furthermore, to compare the NY Governor's action in not selecting Caroline Kennedy for Hillary Clinton's old seat to those of Blago, who was selling Obama's former seat, among other things---to say the actions of both Governors are somehow equivalent---is incomprehensible. Actually the big objection (unstated)is who Governor Paterson picked, moreso than who he did not. In fact, he was sending a really big message to the rest of the Democratic establishment: 'Ignore or trivialize me at your peril'. They would do well to heed this shot across the bow. Perhaps they will not?

And on it goes. We used to read about these sort of things going on in Taiwan, or the Philippines, or Africa. Now, we read about it in America.

As our economy falters; as our government throws money at problems with no real strategy; as our 'leaders' coddle our enemies and want to bring their agents from a safe place (Gitmo) to our own shores- we will being seeing more of "Third World America" in years to come.

Two bright lights , though, do shine in our present darkness. The selection of Chairman Steele for the top Republican Party post. And the fact that not one Republican voted for the stimulus package. Steele (play on his name intended) in the Republican Party, there may yet be.

If John McCain had really wanted to pull a coup and possibly, despite all the odds, win (after all, in spite of the overwhelming anti-Bush sentiment expressed in the election, and his own ineptitude or hidden agenda, he did quite well, all things considered)- Steele would have made an excellent running mate. And will. No offense to Sarah Palin (who will NOT be on the ticket in 2012).

The Alaska and Hawaii adventures will not be repeated---not the the Alaska part, anyway.

MC