Thousands of Obama inauguration-watchers are supposedly using Annapolis as a launching base to explore the other nearby capital city. I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon one imminent and one not quite as imminent change of capital city government.
To wit...Bush had his Katrina. Moyer has her Market House. Bush had his "You're either with us or you're against us." Moyer has her "They're just rhetorical bomb throwers." Bush read to kids while New York was attacked. Moyer develops a clean air book for kids while air conditioners on our buses fail. Bush pushed his executive powers past constitutional limits, running roughshod over Congress and the Courts at every opportunity. Moyer calls Alderman's proposal to bring about a city manager system an "assault on representative government." Bush brought about huge increases in military spending, and creates the Department of Homeland Security. Moyer creates the Department of Neighborhood and Environmental Protection and The Department of Economic Affairs to create new crony positions.
Bush has left us weaker, poorer, dis-spirited, disliked and disenfranchised. His legacy will be that of eight years of failure, missed opportunity and obsessive attention to terrorism, unilateralism and boorish, self-righteousness. Moyer has one year left to make her mark. I sincerely hope it will be in a positive manner. Obama has two years ahead of him to strongly make his mark. He has told us repeatedly that economic turnaround will not be fast or easy. Moyer tells us that our finances are in good shape.
Obama worked hard for years to inherit the mess left for him. It's fun watching our mayoral hopefuls begin to line up to see who will inherit the next mess. Will their message be one of change or one of experience?
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7 Comments:
IS Obama planning to resign mid term?
I guess on 9/11/01, no one thought that an obsession with terrorism was a bad thing. After all the primary purpose of the executive branch is to secure the safety of the nation.
On 9/11/01, I also don't think you could find anyone who would have predicted that we could get through the next 7 years without a terrorist attack. To have accomplished that is a tremendous achievement.
As with any President, you can disagree with Bush on his approach to a number of issues. But, the facts of history make it difficult to deny that he succeeded on what is the most important responsibility of the Commander and Chief.
Bob McWilliams
Bob A tremendous achievement and all because of Bush. Perhaps. Good Old Bush. Yeah. Like when he "flew" a jet on to the aircraft carrier and said that hostilities had ended. Oh yeah, and we found Bin Laden and stopped Al Qaida. I think the facts already overwhelmingly prove me to be correct that we have been weakened and hurt here and abroad and the long arm of history will further confirm it--because of him. Just go read the sign on West St. across from the library--or read the economic news or travel outside the US and ask anyone what they think...er thought about America under Bush. I suppose by your estimation, Moyer has been a good mayor because we have not been attacked either. Same for Clinton--he was grrreat! Bob-take off your ideological and partisan blinders for once. Perhaps you'll realize that subsequent terrorist attack or not, Bush has been a total disaster for American and the world. But other than that, yeah, I guess you're right. There have not been any more attacks. Of course our economy is in shambles and we can't seem to have enough police officers, fire fighters or other first responders to really guard our security across the USA. But yeah, there have not been any further attacks....that we know of...
Like you say, history will be the final judge on Bush.
As for our standing in places like France, I guess I'm not to concerned about that. I prefer to know that I can fly on a plane, without someone driving it into a building. The admiration of foreign governments is a bit lower on my list. As for the economy, there's a long line of people (e.g. Dodd and Frank, Wall Street, et.al.) who are in line to take the rap for that (Bush included).
Some may think that there has been too much focus on terrorism. But, they should remember that foreign affairs is first and foremost the responsibility of the President. Furthermore, the war against terror may have cost us 4,000 lives and a trillion dollars. But, 9/11 cost the same number of lives and an estimated ten trillion dollars. The guy across the street from the library is quick to tell us the cost of fighting the fight. But, he neglects to consider the cost of failure. We haven't been attacked; we've avoided the enormous cost of failure.
As with Bush, I'll judge O'Bama by his actions and results. Partisan bickering is nothing more than that - bickering. The true results for Bush won't be know for some time to come. But, preventing a terrorist attack for 7years isn't a bet anyone would have taken post 9/11. That's an important achievement that shouldn't be dismissed.
Bob McWilliams
I dunno' Bob. The admiration of foreign governments is something you can take to the bank. Or should I say Le Banc? It meant a lot in World War 2 and in The Cold War. What's so bad about France anyway? They got a lot of stuff figured out over there in Gaul. They get on a atomic-powered train going 250 miles per hour so they can sit in a cafe and choose from dozens of cognacs and hundreds of cheeses.
I liked it when they chopped up all their royal kleptocrats. And I kind of like them fellows like Rousseau, Voltaire, Sartre, Matisse, and even Bernard Henri Levi. I also like that actor dude Depardieu. And hey-if it weren't for their help back in the 1770's and early 1780's, we might all be speaking English. Imagine that! Mon dieu. Sacre bleu. English!
You sound like Willy the Scottish janitor on the Simpsons when he refers to them as "cheese eatin' surrender monkeys." (Now when it comes to Beneteaus and Jenneaus, well, that's another story. I'll take a Bristol, a Cape Dory or a Tartan any day over five of them.)
Au revoire!
I agree with you on your last item wholeheartedly. I had a Cape Dory 30 for many years and loved it. Wish I had her back.
Bob McWilliams
Any boat is okay with me really...as long as it does not need a bailout....of course, maybe Congress will buy me one....
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