President Obama, have you abandoned us?
I knew that politicians tended to listen only to moneyed interests, but I thought you were different.
I knew that politicians only get feedback from an in-crowd of cronies, but I thought you were different.
I knew that politicians tended to act from expediency rather than principle, but I thought you were different.
I knew that inertia was the biggest force in government, but I thought you were different.
President Obama, you have let down the American people.
You have let down the generation to come, including YOUR OWN CHILDREN.
You have let down my enthusiasm, my hopes and dreams for a better America.
You have let down yourself.
With so much enthusiasm at your disposal, how could you walk away from us?
How can you expect people to ever vote for you again? There aren't enough people on Wall Street to get you elected.
I worried about assassination, but you have assassinated yourself without a gun.
This is tragic for the United States - but it is pathetic for you.
What is there to hope for?
When I look at my list of blogs, only one shows. The buttons say "All" and that they are sorted from recent to past, but there is only the most recent one.
When I change the button to "past 12 months" I can see them all.
This is nutty.
I believe I had written a blog a few months ago, expressing my disappointment with Obama, and my hope that my concerns might eventually reach him.
I never heard anything, but my blog seems to have disappeared. Did I sign up twice, or am I being censored?
If someone was going to address my concerns, shouldn't they have written to me?
Is this 1984???
President Obama,
You were elected with the greatest wave of hope that I have seen since the election of President Kennedy...
...and now I feel terribly let down.
You have allowed, yes allowed the radical right to capture the emotions of this nation.
Although your negotiating skills are important; although your intelligence is important; although your organizing abilities are important; the most important ability you have is the ability to inspire.
You have not been using that ability lately at all. You have gotten sucked into the endless chess game of power and politics, and you have neglected your constituency, big time!
I listen to the news and the talk shows with dismay. I have been to a town hall meeting on health care with Lynn Woolsey. The passion and fear of the radical right was prominent, although not in the majority. It is hard to believe that so much credence is given to such outrageous lying. The right wing does not approach this subject, or any other, as far as I can tell, with logic or facts; its approach is on a crazy version of faith. It is like people who twist the bible to support their hate and then say, "The bible says it and I believe it." They forget that the people who hated Jesus were the ones who upheld the letter of the law, but not the spirit; the ones who were judgmental and divisive, not the ones who believed in love and community.
The greatness of the United States was NOT achieved by people acting alone, as much as independence is prized here. It was achieved by people acting together. People harvested their crops together, raised barns together. People helped each other. They were good neighbors. We developed a system of free public education, so all children could be educated, not just those of the rich and powerful.
Respect for the United States in the world was not born of military prowess, but of respect for the generosity, caring and fairness of the American people. It was because, at one time, we took the high road, the road less traveled!
Now we have fallen. We take the low road, talking about the necessity for something we don't call torture, but is. We kill, not to protect people from tyranny, but to protect *our* resources, even if they are located in the countries of others.
I find it so hard to believe, President Obama, that you seem to be cooperating with those who are so short-sighted as to believe that the well-being of the United States rests with military domination.
You talk about health care, but you have given away everything important that you might have done for health care. You talk about health care costs, but you are no different than President Bush in your spending our hard-earned wealth on death, on military adventures and military toys. Do you hope to save on health care and give those savings to the military?
Is it time for me to realize that I have been had? That in handing you this election, the American people have been had? Where is the man I voted for?
Yes we can...what? We can sit by while you allow the military-industrial complex and the insurance vipers to destroy America? I don't usually use that term, America - it applies to pretty much the whole western hemisphere, but I use it now, for the idea of American. The idea of people living together in freedom and peace, in community, caring for the well-being of all - not just our families, not just our town, not just our state, but everyone, everywhere. I thought we were nice people! What happened? Tears come to my eyes as I write these words. What happened?
I could understand the trend under President Bush - but you?
I know you cannot single-handedly do it all. But you have ceased to be a leader, because a leader inspires. A leader calls to the best and highest in us. The majority of Americans responded to that call when they voted for you. They were overjoyed at the opportunity to put their energy into positive endeavors at last.
You are gone, it seems. You have gone over to the fraternity of the rich and powerful.
I am dispirited, left behind, holding the (empty) bag of hope, while the mean-spirited rejoice.
I have received the request to donate a dollar a day to help get the health care bill through, with $30 a month being deducted from my credit card until it happens.
I have contributed to causes and campaigns before... but this was a "They've got to be kidding" moment.
If someone paid me $30/month until I swept my front walk, I'd never sweep it!
There's gotta be a better way. I definitely don't like the open ended nature of this financial request.
I'm sure it could be changed, but the request took me aback!
Regarding the whole financial collapse: It is at least grand larceny to steal so much money. It is sabotage to destroy so much of our country's wealth. It is a crime against humanity to cause so much suffering. It is treason to do so much damage to our country's ability to provide education, housing, retirement income, and health care for its citizens. It is not merely a matter of not getting a bonus.
Community Service Option: In a better world, the perpetrators would be convicted of the above crimes, and given a delayed sentence to start in 5 to 10 years. During that time, they would have the chance to put their cleverness to restoring that which was lost. If they accomplished that, the sentence would be nullified . If they did not restore a good part of what they destroyed, they would go to prison, and their families could only keep what would allow them the standard of living of the average unemployed person or retiree who lost everything. No home ownership! No new cars! No ivy league university! No home theater! And certainly, NO BONUSES!
