NEDERLAND —  Sorry folks to have taken an absence from rebutting some of our local “political experts” and to be perfectly honest their rants just didn’t warrant my time. Have had several folks ask where I have been and basically the answer has been, just soaking it all in! Lately there has beenplenty to soak in so might as well put it in print.  As usual I totally disagree with the writings of Mr. Spooner but a few weeks ago I actually agreed with one of his statements. He was lamenting on the Senate Race in Massachusetts and made a quip that voters at times do not have all the facts at hand and make inappropriate decisions. I totally agree, as this is how our current President was elected. I too have great hopes for our nation’s leaders as their decisions and policies have a direct effect on our livelihood. To date our current leader’s polls have dropped significantly but he takes no ownership of what has taken place. President Obama has been in office for over a year and has yet to take claim for any of the failures and repeatedly lays blame on the former administration time and time again as this seems to be his answer to everything. Case in point on Super Bowl Sunday (great ploy CBS) as our President was being interviewed by the non confrontational Katie Couric he repeatedly used words such as: when I took office this is what I inherited, the past administration……., remember this was the republicans doings, and the list goes on. Word to the wise as this blame game gets old and the American public is tiring of it as his polls definitely reflect. Man up as you have been in office for over the year and as you say time and time again the buck stops with you but hard to take seriously when you take no responsibility.  I remember the tragic days following 9-11 when President Bush stepped atop a pile of rubble and made the comment that not only is all of America listening, the world is listening. Bush had only been in office for eight months on this fateful day but he showed leadership during this crisis and not the blame game. If he followed the lead of our current President his speech would have blamed the Clinton Administration as it had only been eight months since he took office so might as well pass the buck Obama style. Come on Mr. President, take ownership of your failures as well as your successes.

  A few months ago he was interviewed on 60 Minutes and graded his first year at a B+. Not sure of the grading curve he is utilizing and maybe a few educators can help me out but a B+ is not a bad grade as means you are doing relatively well and producing positive results.  Let’s review a few of the promises made during the campaign trail: Healthcare for everyone within the first year of office. Well this has been a fiasco and now that the 60 senate votes are not there he claims the people have spoken and this may not be what is wanted. Wow. Over 60% of the population disagrees with the bill, the cost is huge and remember, healthcare for all was the promise, yet this bill only covers half of the uninsured Americans! So to recap what he really means in my opinion is that “we had the votes and will run it through at any costs be it good or bad”. Reduce government spending was another great promise and sorry as not nearly enough print space to cover this failure but give him credit as he has raised the deficit higher and faster than any other President.  Elimination of Pork Projects , once again how many special projects were included in his stimulus bill only months into his first term. Talk about convenient memory. Closing of Guantanamo within the year? Well still waiting on this one too.  On the flip side he is quick to take credit for the reduction of troops in Iraq (and getting them home safely is priority one) but this credit should go to the previous administration (instead of the normal blame) as he is only following the timetable of the previous administration, yes Good Ole George. About the only campaign promise he has fulfilled is date night with his wife. I am sure she appreciates this but why not try visiting a church in the DC area and he is one of the few Presidents in modern times who does not attend church regularly. For someone that was so supportive of Rev. Jeremiah Wright you would think he would at least attend church every so often. 

    I do find it hilarious how the dems have labeled these “Obstructionist Republicans” that are blocking everything the President is attempting. Have the dems ever taken a step back and pondered over what they are attempting? Unfortunately no as they are hell bent on passing this bill at any costs. Face it as the support for the healthcare proposal is just not there but their pride will keep them from admitting this.  The cost is too high and it covers onlyhalf the uninsured population. Remember the campaign promise was for all Americans to have coverage, not half.  One would think with so many people against the program and the polls reflecting this, that the President would take a step back and review this terrible legislation. This is one of his major problems as he just is not listening and responding to the pulse of the folks that elected him. Do we need healthcare reform? You bet we do but it has to be worked upon together as this package was rushed together, contains way too many special perks that were put into buy the votes (Louisiana and Nebraska to name a couple) and leaves to many questions unanswered as well as to many uninsured. Have the dems forgotten recent history while they controlled the House and Senate the last two years of the Bush Administration and did the same thing they are accusing GOP members of doing. Hmm let’s ponder on that one a moment.  From 2008 through today the House and Senate has been controlled by the dems.  This is the same controlling group that has blamed just about everything on the Bush Administration. They have blamed the housing fallout, banking industry fallout, automotive company fallout as well as Wall St woes on then President Bush. Just listen to our current President and he continues to blame the past administration on everything. Once again own up as the administration is yours. During this two year period the Democrats were the ones in control of setting budgets, overseeing these industries as well as overseeing the banking and Securities Commission (Barney Frank stated many times these areas were prospering),  and they failed in every area but did well in passing the buck. The approval rating for the House and senate is running around 20%, an all time low and yet they continue to lead our Country in the wrong direction. I have said it time and time again that just maybe one day these guys will wake up and remember they work for you and I. Not their respective parties. No doubt that Mr. Spooner is a Republican Basher and this is his absolute right as in his eyes the demscan do no wrong and the GOP can do nothing right, but how can one discuss unity within congress and working towards  bipartisan solutions while remaining one dimensional and blaming the other party for everything. Maybe next time we can cover his sealing of Obama’s personal records (what is he hiding) as well as some of his failures in the nomination of some very high profile positions.  Until then God Bless America as we need it more than ever.  





Randy Sonnier

Nederland, TX