Be careful what you wish for

I haven't waded into politics much here lately, as I've been waiting to see how this new administration was going to work out. I'm sort of still waiting, I guess. I did see a poll today that the opinion of the USA has risen dramatically around the world since the inauguration. That's good. But at the same time, I see a poll that shows Obama's approval ratings falling to lower than Jimmy Carter's at the same point in his (one-term) presidency. That's not so good. They like you overseas just fine, but not so much at home? Hm.

Well, it's still early. We'll see.

But one of the things that is intriguing me right now is all the fussing in Washington over health care reform. President Obama's soaring rhetoric is making the broad case just fine, but Congress seems to be unable to put the details together. Then they get mad when Obama doesn't provide specific, ready-made solutions to every little problem.

Dudes! Hel-LO! He is the Executive Branch. He enforces the law, carries it out. Congress is the Legislative Branch; they are the law-makers. It's their job to create the legislation and sweat the details. It's Obama's job to inspire and then implement.

So, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Reid, to you I say: stop all the whining & complaining and buckle down. Make the hard decisions. Do your job. Figure it out. That's what you're there for.

I mean jeepers, Nancy & Harry: you have sizeable majorities. And in the Senate, even that coveted filibuster-proof majority. Honestly, Dems, you got everything you wanted: you got the White House and both houses of Congress, and no Republican filibuster to stand in your way. You don't really need the Republicans at all; you proved that with the economic stimulus package. You can bypass them completely to get things done. There is no opposition party to hinder, no Bush to blame anymore. Now we get to see what YOU are made of.

You have no excuses anymore. None. You got what you wished for. If you don't change the country and fix all the problems you lamented during the election, there is no one to blame now.... but you.

That's a scary prospect. So have a nice August recess, get some rest. You're gonna need it.