Obama and Bush : Birds of a Feather? ...Are They?

One answer to the the question "Why is Barack Obama being praised for taking the same or similar actions that got the former president blacklisted?" is due to the current media coverage or lack thereof today. It seems that most media coverage has been supportive of and possibly even reluctant to criticized president Obama. Very few networks seem to be critical ever of the president. At some point during the Democratic primary for president the media seemed to put their support behind candidate Obama over Clinton. This support appears to have continued through most of the presidents first year in office. While Bush's popularity and support finished at the lowest rating for an outgoing president at 22%, Obama's ratings in most polls in January 2009 were over 60%. This has continued in part because the media is both liberal and mostly Democrat. It is no surprise that any similarities that may be made between Obama and Bush would favor Obama in the majority of the media outlets.

It is true that the media portrayed Bush as the "wealthy Americans" best ally. The criticism the media reported on Bush's bailing out the financial sector/banks seem to have not followed the progress or lack of thereof of the initial $700 billion bailout. It is interesting in an article on March 29, 2010 by Daniel Wagner, an Associated Press Business Writer, of the $700 billion bailout from Bush only $380 billion has been paid out. Of that amount $194 billion has been paid back. That number should grow after the Citigroup sale. Mr. Wagner states these are Treasury Department figures. If my math is right there is $186 billion balance left of which I suspect most will never be recovered. Bush's deficits during his presidency ranged from a low of $158 billion in 2002 to when he left office in 2008 with the second highest deficit recorded during his two terms at over $400 billion. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) numbers for 2009 deficit are estimated to be $1.85 trillion under Obama. Yes, it does seem to be a double standard as you mention that Bush was so heavily criticized and Obama is not.

Obama campaigned on pulling the troops out of Iraq and demonizing those who opposed those efforts. Although he may accomplish this goal it certainly has not been as quickly as he had indicated. Media has not had the same negative reports about this as they had during Bush's final years concerning Iraq. I agree with Obama's effort and support to increase troops in Afganistan. This action is a good one that should help protect the undermined forces there. I'm not sure that war is necessary as you say, but in the case of supporting our troops and the development of a democratic Iraq government it is in our best interest that the US has the needed support in the Middle East other than Israel. I believe the taste of freedom of a democratic society from a tyrannical one will be hard to take away once it is rooted in the Iraq people.

With respects to privacy issues, we as Americans should be able to count on the 4th Amendment to protect the common citizen. The Amendment states "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." The Obama administration has used the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 to access emails older than 180 days. Some say this is a violation of our 4th Amendment rights. It is interesting that the same privacy issues in our emails are not provided the same protection as we are provided with the mail delivered by the US Postal Service. Recently with regards to wiretapping or surveillance the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel wrote a memorandum declaring that warrantless surveillance was lawful. These rulings during Obama's administration only back up Bush's policies on surveillance particularly when national security is at stake. My concern is where will the line be drawn now for us the American people. As you stated "where will it end?"

Although these two president do have similarities to be considered as you mentioned with certain educational issues, abstinence and capital punishment, I feel that it is strange to see that Obama has increased deficit spending by near four times, the war efforts have been increased, issues regarding the expansion of governments right to "listen in" are being all but being ignored by the media, and the potential destructive path of the proposed increased spending without so much as minimal exposure in the media worries me. These same topics although equally as important during Bush's terms were used to demonize Bush in the media. Obama seems to have been given a hall pass so far. It seems clear that the actions of this administration have exponentially increased previous policies of Bush's without much criticism.

This administrations finger pointing at the Bush administration are like you say "the pot calling the kettle black." I like another saying "be careful at who you point you finger at because you have three pointing back at yourself".

My Personal Opinion on The New Health Care Plan

There are several reasons for why I disagree with the new “Health Care Bill". American citizens should already know that there are distinct functions of government that should protect all American citizens and their rights. Our government provides for us, through our military branches, a national defense to keep us safe, a judicial system that protects the innocent and punishes the guilty, guarantees the preservation of individual rights and liberties which includes but is not limited to freedom of speech or the right to bear arms. These are things specifically outlined in the document known as our United States Constitution. Where in our Constitution does it state that anyone is "entitled" to health insurance, retirement benefits, food stamps, social security, (and public education for that matter)? These newly formed or expanded welfare and entitlement programs will diminish the ambition and drive from many of our country's citizenry.

Due to the unemployment numbers rising, the lack of confidence in finding jobs and the hopelessness of it for many has caused more people to look to the government to take care of them. You are entitled to the "pursuit of happiness" but there is no guarantee of happiness, and a person’s pursuit of happiness does not entitle anyone to make an indirect claim on mine, or for that matter anyone else’s productivity by receiving benefits that I work and pay for. Our government is dealing a highly addictive drug, and that drug is "entitlements". The government does not only do this because they want everyone to have health care. It's either because they don't have faith in the citizens to make decisions for themselves or it seems that our government may be trying to build a foundation of power and control. The government can then maintain the control a dealer has over the addict. Many of us, as U.S. citizens, may soon become dependent on government welfare and the expanded entitlement programs offered. The next generations that are growing up today will always have their hands out asking for more help when things are not going their way rather than working that extra job to pay for an education, a second car or a newborn baby. This may become a way of life.

Working for what you have builds strength, character, and the willingness to go that extra mile to accomplish something that is meaningful or that was your choice to do (such as having a child). It feels great to accomplish difficult tasks. You derive a sense of accomplishment and pride. It sets examples for younger children to follow to be able to take care of themselves when they grow up. This country was built by the hard work of our forefathers. Their blood, sweat and tears gave us the opportunities we now have to be unique and fulfill our dreams. It's sad driving down the road and seeing a group of government workers repairing a road and two are working and six are watching. In private industry you will not have your job if you don't work or produce. This will get worse if people are given food, housing, clothes and now health care. What's left? The more dependent people become upon government, the more the government will control our lives, our choices, our money and…etc.

Logically, it makes no sense to have a right to something that someone else must provide with no benefit to the person that is being forced to make the sacrifices. I believe it will slowly take away all the incentive to work those long hours or second job when you see others receiving handouts or benefiting because they choose not to work to pay for their choices they've made. And why would they if the government will pay for it? Already retirees who have worked and planned for retirement will loose the benefits that had been given to them from some of these large corporations (AT&T for one) only because the health care bill make the companies pay taxes on the benefits now as income where it was subsidized by the government before. These companies do not have to give these retirees these benefits, however the government will make you buy it or penalize you if you loose the health care benefit that had been provided. Most retirees live on a fixed income and will be burdened to pay for this new expense. This is only one example of why the government needed to take more time when passing legislation that may be hurting many of those they had not considered before. Already it is being challenged in many states as unconstitutional but as sad as this is, the CBO did not use these retirees in their figures when estimating these health care costs.

Now there will be thousands in need of help from the government who like I mentioned are on fixed budgets and were receiving retirement benefits. They may now have to pay for it or suffer penalties. The government is not the answer for our problems. These politicians were voted in by the people and the people have and will make our country thrive once again if we focus on job creation to make money, not spend money we don't have now. We do need reform but not by increasing the deficit by 3 or 4 times. This is what people must come to understand if we are to remain sovereign as a nation.