Crying Like Little Babies

I would have posted this earlier, but due to technical difficulties beyond my control... like the whole freaking power going off in my box, the whole building, and the surrounding blocks from Seventh Street to Fourth, and from Central to who knows how far east. And without power I can do absolutely nothing, no work, no research, no Email activism (I swear to God, I have two to three hours of Email to go through each and every day), no nothing. So I need power, and lots of it!
I went downstairs, as did most of the residents. My lovely case manager, Erin was standing alone in her office in the dark.
"Hi Rick," she said.
"Hi."
I walked outside to confirm that the power was off in the local area, and yes the traffic lights were out too.
Sure enough, like rats off a sinking ship, Erin and Paul walked out of the building to go to their offices at the Olympia where hopefully the electricity was still functioning, right when I needed her most, in a time of difficulty and uncertainty, when I could have used some support and succor.
It makes little difference that if our positions had been reversed I would have done the exact same thing.
Anyway, as to the point of this post, by my count President Barack Obama has been in office now for 238 days. In that time he has done these things:
Passed the "largest" economic stimulus bill in American history.
Ordering the closing of Guantanamo Bay military detention facility and abolishing "enhanced interrogation techniques."
Setting a fixed timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq.
Ordering 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and enlisting, with modest new assistance, European allies in a new multi-layered strategy there and in Pakistan.
"Returning science to its rightful place" by lifting the Bush restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
Signing laws to expand children's health insurance.
Signing a law meant to improve the ability of women who allege pay discrimination to sue their employer.
Diminishing the role of lobbyists in the White House
"Forge a meaningful statement from the United Nations" criticizing North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile.
Lifting travel and remittance restrictions for Cuban Americans who seek to travel more frequently to the island and send more US currency to their immediate family.
Engaging world leaders in Europe, Turkey, Latin American and the Caribbean with "strength and humility."
Stopping an impending worldwide economic depression that hasn't been seen since the 1930s.
And attempting to pass historic national heath care legislation that has not been overhauled for decades.
All but the last of these accomplishments he did in his first 100 days in office, and many of these tasks were mandated due to the mess left to him by the previous administration.
What did his predecessor get done in the same period of time? He cut taxes for the richest among us paving the way for the economic collapse we witnessed at the end of his presidency; ignoring our founding fathers belief in the separation of church and state by providing federal funding for "faith based initiatives"; and after having been warned that Al Qaeda intended to use aircraft as weapons to attack our country, allowed the attacks of September 11, 2001 to occur (and forget about Dick Cheney's argument that they kept the country safe for eight years due to their "techniques," it just doesn't hold any water at all. Discounting the attack of 9/11 itself, which occurred on their watch, there were terrorists attacks in the U.S. after the World Trade Center fell, anthrax spores were mailed to several media outlets, and two United States Senators, killing 5 people, and infecting 17 others. And during the Bush years worldwide terrorist attacks increased. Besides, you can never prove a negative. Trumping up the claim that Bush policies kept the country safe, is like taking credit for keeping meteorites from flattening Washington D.C. It didn't happen, but I'm not willing to give George Bush credit for it. Remember Katrina).
Still thousands of demonstrators marched in Washington last weekend filled with hate for our new President, bused in by the likes Dick (there's no lack of Dicks on the right) Armey, and his FreedomWorks Foundation, who lies about this being a grassroots movement. Half of these people don't even know why they're there, and don't even no what socialism is, but they claim to hate it.
These poor misguided fools just don't like the fact that a black man was elected President, and hint at armed rebellion to stop each and every policy of the new administration, even while acting against their own best self interests. They ignore the fact that the nation spoke last November through its election process, and are doing what infants and children do when they don't get their way, crying like little babies, stomping up and down, and pouting. They also ignore the fact that Barack was elected in large part because of the hash up their guy, George W. Bush made of his administration and country. They even lie about the size of their demonstration, overstating the number of people there by 930,000.
I have close friends that continue to believe that George Bush was the greatest President ever, and dislike Barack Obama intensely, and everything he stands for, or does, despite the fact that his policies benefit them. I don't hope to change their minds. But this is what happens when you get most of your news information from the Fox Propaganda Network, and Rush Limbaugh.
Get over it people! You lost! The nation has spoken and it's time to grow up.