Yes Yes Yes

2009.03.11   prev     next

I try to avoid using a new posting here to basically just link to a news story, but in this case I’ll make an exception.

President Obama has just proposed revolutionary earmark reforms. Abso-fucking-lutely. I knew there was a reason I voted for this guy besides the need for the Republicans to be held accountable for getting us into this mess.

Between his electoral victory and this morning, I was really feeling that Obama was going to be just more of the same (but still, at least the first African-American president, payback for W’s mess, and hey, I gotta admire the sheer chutzpah of a presidential ticket called “Obama Biden” just seven years after Osama Binladen became enemy #1 of the USA).

But with one simple speech, I now think Obama may be our greatest president in my lifetime. Unless you credit Reagan for defeating communism, in which case he and Obama might be tied for first. I’m not exaggerating — we could be looking at the end of pork-barrel spending, which might be the most economically damaging thing going on in our nation.

Now the big question is — can he pull it off? Will congressmen and senators vote for legislation like this?

I read between the lines in Obama’s proposal, and I think he might be saying, “I dare you to vote against this. Because if you do, your name will figure prominently in my next speech on the subject.”

Update 2010.03.11 — Uhhh...it’s been a year since I posted this, and I haven’t anything more about earmark reforms. Not a thing. Might be switchin’ back to ’Publicans in 2012. Two more years to make something good happen, Mr. President...