Friday, February 06, 2009

Obama Stands Up and Fights Back

Watch the video here.

President Obama - and, yes, I still get a smile when i hear those words - made the case for the economic rescue bill yesterday. Basically, he does what everyone in the blogosphere has been clamoring for since the beginning - Obama gets out in front, takes charge, lays punches on the Republicans (although carefully avoiding them by name), and makes the case for the stimulus package to the American people. Good job!

This is exactly what needs to be done, and the case must be made again and again. Obama is really the only person in Washington to carry great support with the people. They will trust him. But I think the realization has finally hit home that this issue has been almost entirely directed by the Republicans, who are doing everything they can to scrap this bill and leave us with nothing. Well, I suppose you could add in another insane round of Bush-era tax cuts and far-right fantasies like the flat tax.

But the point everyone has been making is that the GOP has been setting the terms of the debate. They've been the ones on the telescreens. The Dems have been almost completely AWOL. And I certainly hope Obama gets it. He needs to stop playing the nice guy, Waylon Smithers role and take charge. This stimulus bill cannot be allowed to fail. Unless, I suppose, you actually want to sleep under a bridge and sell pencils on street corners.

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