first review

[Mike Furley]

What's your early take on the Obama Administration and Congress controlled by the Democratic Party with huge majorities that can practically pass any law they desire?

A.) It's been fantastic. Everything has materialized as I expected and I can't wait to see what else can be accomplished in the next 35 months.

B.) It hasn't been great but I am still optimistic about the next 35 months.

C.) It has been a disaster and I shudder to think of the damage that can be done over the next 35 months

D.) It's too early to have an opinion one way or the other

E.) Dude, I don't pay attention to this crap unless something directly affects me or until I'm besieged by campaign commericials three years from now.

[bluefan]

C.
Grab your ankles, people. I'm waiting for our flag to be redesigned to a hammer and sickle. How can one pass a 1100+ page bill written up by some of the shadiest crooks on earth without bothering to read a single sentence? God help us all.

[blueisbetterthanred]

I have to say C. as well, and anyone who says "A" I think needs to explain how and why they think so.

I haven't seen anything to do with change since he took office, even in the short time. He screams about how bi-partisan he is going to be in the campaign and other than a couple PR meetings, he has been pushing a heavy heavy left agenda while ignoring the middle class largely, which was his bread and butter he spoke to.

400 dollars spread out over 6 months starting in June.. seriously? That's stimulation?
Unemployment getting a bigger boost than the working man? Really? ...REALLY?

There is some good money in the bill, sure, but it's not going to do anything except lead to another bailout package about 90 days from now. This path we are embarking down is dangerous.

Nationalized banks anyone? It's a heartbeat away.

[Wolvrin704]

I'm somewhere between C and D. I think its still kinda early and every President has growing pains as the country, media and Congress grow accustomed to them. But he has also made allot of mis-steps thus far and he's gonna have allot of ground to make up to correct them. Of course if you listen to the media or the Congressional leaders you'd think he has saved the planet 9 times over. The stimulus package has been an unmitigated disaster the entire way through and Pelosi has done nothing to endear the American public to Obama, herself or their party.

[bluefan]

Furley, what's your opinion by the way?

[Mike Furley]

same as Wolvrin 704 - somewhere between D & C.

The first month doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in me. I try to temper that feeling with the acknowledgment that its still early.

I think the stimulus bill was a tragedy. When everything in those 1100 pages gets pointed out to the American public, I think a lot of the people who voted for it are going to wish they read it first. The Welfare reform from 1996 was totally gutted. How's that going to play with the rest of us who go to work every day?

[osusteve]

D.
Obama did get the stimulus bill passed as he intended. He still has a 60+ percent approval rating. He made some mistakes with regard to cabinet appointments but I would blame that largely on Rahm Emanuel. We would be a hell of a lot better off if Nancy Pelosi was not Speaker.
I personally am not crazy about the stimulus bill but the republicans haven't really offered a quality alternative plan. I believe I would prefer gridlock with no stimulus plan of any kind.

[bigboyBlue]

B or D. The Cabinet appt mess is largely media created and takes away from the fact that some of these appointees were probably best suited for the job (I mean seriously, everyone would be in tax trouble if someone looked close enough). I think he should have stood by his appointments, mostly. And the stimulus package, not against it, we'll have to see how well it works in the long run before making judgements.

And yes, Pelosi is a freakin kid in a candy shop right now, things will be ok once they get used to being back in power.

[Wolvrin704]

B or D. The Cabinet appt mess is largely media created and takes away from the fact that some of these appointees were probably best suited for the job (I mean seriously, everyone would be in tax trouble if someone looked close enough). I think he should have stood by his appointments, mostly. And the stimulus package, not against it, we'll have to see how well it works in the long run before making judgements.

And yes, Pelosi is a freakin kid in a candy shop right now, things will be ok once they get used to being back in power.

The Dems have been in power for a couple of years in Congress(since 2006). In fact from 1954 to 1994 the Dems controlled both houses of Congress(except for 1980-1986 when the Repubs controlled the Senate). It was only from 1995-2001 that the Republicans had a true majority in the Congress, from 2001-2006 it was almost evenly divided with a very slight edge going to the Repubs.

[The Michigan Man]

1) Disclaimer: I'm conservative, and wasn't voting for Barry Hussein whether he was black, white, or otherwise.

2) You can't sell your self as an agent of "change" and then hire / appoint as many old guard obstructionist democrats as humanly possible, such as Emmanuel, Clinton, Richardson, Daschle, etc. That is more of the same.

3) Is failing to pay income taxes a prerequisite for employment in this administration?

4) This "stimulus" bill is the biggest wreckless spending / earmark / pork barrel piece of crap in this country's history, will create very few jobs (unless you are in the STD or honey bee research industry), and is basically a payback to special interests that got him and his democrat cronies like Pelosi and Reid elected.

[michAGAIN]

I know one thing for sure....our Founding Fathers coffins are now on "spin cycle".

[Mike Furley]

Well it looks like Kim Jong Il is feeling a little left out. News reports today indicate the North Koreans are threatening to test their long range missile that can reach the United States.

Seeing as we are bankrupt, we can't give Kim Jong any new toys. Will he view our non-response (as was our response to Irans satelite launch) as a sign that he can invade South Korea? The last time a non-response was interpreted poorly, Saddam rolled his tanks into Kuwait.

[bluefan]

Oh, crap. I've been so busy burying my money in mason jars in the backyard I forgot all about how every terrorist/commie nation in the world is now going to walk all over us. Maybe I should be digging a nuclear fallout shelter instead of places to hide my $$.
Back when we had real men running the country it was like we had a big brother there to protect us from the bullies in the neighborhood. Now it feels like he went off to college or something and we're phuct.
But hey, at least we'll all be dirt poor when we get invaded.