The Honeymoon's Over

In earlier posts I stated that I would give team Obama a chance to demonstrate their true colors. I even gave Obama a 100 day report card that I thought was fair and again hopeful that he would demonstrate an ability to govern more from the center than some of his more radical left wing cohorts like Madam Chairman Pelosi.

Unfortunately from my perspective the administration's missteps are just too big to ignore any longer.

First let's take the health care issue. Do Americans believe that health care reform is needed? Absolutely yes! Do they think that any of the Democratic bills currently being promoted are the solution? Absolutely not! Meaningful, cost-effective and comprehensive health reform can be achieved by enacting legislation that accomplishes four goals. 1) A limit on or new system to handle medical malpractice lawsuits; 2) a prohibition of denying coverage for pre-existing conditions; 3) portability of insurance in the face of job loss or other life changing event; and 4) allowing private insurance companies to compete across state lines. These four reforms will deal with the most pressing of the health care access and cost issues that we currently face and will not increase the federal deficit one penny.

Mandating coverage, taxing small businesses or soaking the rich are not the answer. Nevertheless the Dems seem hell bent on ramming their public option (i.e. the first step towards a national health care system) down the throats of the American public in spite of increasing public opposition. They are doing this now because their window of opportunity for such an unpopular move is very tight.

As we sit the dems control both houses of congress and many of them see this legislation as their rightful political legacy. They also know that because it is unpopular the size of their majorities is likely to take a major hit in the 2010 elections so it's now or never.

I'm rooting for never and that with a return of a more balanced congress in 2011 a more sensible reform package such as the one outlined above will have a chance at being passed.

Next has been this president's naive and befuddling approach to international relations. Why does he think that cow-towing to foreign leaders and apologizing for America's past policies and actions - like saving the free world from fascism in the 1940's, rebuilding Europe and Japan after WW2 and cracking communism in the 1980's were bad behaviors - will increase our standing or influence. Clearly Iran, China, North Korea, Russia and most of South America have given him the big brush off. Ironically the only one showing any semblance of balls in dealing with these issues Hillary. Let's face it - Obama's touchy-feely approach to international relationships is a disaster.

When it comes to Afghanistan my own view is that we are either in or out. Right now I lean towards out, but if we are in we need to be all in. What is not acceptable is that after declaring in the campaign and in March of this year that Afghanistan was the "just" war and one that we must win, he is fiddling while Rome burns. The fact that he is either unwilling or unable to make a decision on the troop increase is just more evidence that he lacks the conviction of his own words.

Last and most recent is his decision (and make no mistake this is his decision and not Holder's) to try the 9/11 conspirators in federal court rather than by military commission. What a travesty! The only possible explanation for this decision is to allow these thugs to use the American legal system as a platform to bash past American (read GWB) policies. What a cynical way to push a political vendetta at the expense of the 9/11 victims and their families.

Mr. Obama your honeymoon is over.

As always comments are most welcome.

Another Ball and Chain on Nuclear Power

Today the Obama administration implemented its campaign pledge to close the completed but never opened Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. This after 13 billion of taxpayer dollars have been spent to prepare the facility to receive spent fuel from the nation's nuclear power facilities. Not only that since the feds have unilaterally breached the contract the US government signed with the nuclear electrical utilities to receive the spent fuel, we the taxpayer will continue to pay fines and penalties.

What an asinine policy decision!

Look, if you are one of the man-made global warming chicken littles - as our current prez seems to be - a conversion to an all-electric ground transport system recharged with electricity from nuclear power plants is the only rational policy position. In the interest of full disclosure I have not tasted the man-made global warming theory Kool-Aid, but I do agree that as a general principle limiting the amount of fossil fuel we consume is a good thing from both an air quality and energy security perspective.

That is why I am just astounded at the oxymoronic thinking that drove Obama's decision to close Yucca Mountain. Clearly if you are genuinely concerned about CO2 emissions then you would logically be a strong supporter of nuclear power. Closing Yucca Mountain only creates a further obstacle and and increases the uncertainty regarding new nuclear plant development and/or re-licensing of existing nuc plants.

In a few days Obama is off to Copenhagen to sign an international agreement to limit the emission of greenhouse gases. The hypocrisy of this event in the face of his decision to further limit the use of nuclear power in the USA is stunning.