A New Afghanistan Attitude

As we prepare to hear the President’s speech on Afghanistan tomorrow night, we should adopt a new attitude towards the war and try to separate his recommendations from the follies of the last eight years.

During the Bush administration, we were beset by false assurances, cherry picking of intelligence and a general attitude of deception. We should give the new President an opportunity to define a new, more nuanced strategy, and wait patiently for it to work, or possibly, fail.

We should acknowledge that the President has undergone a far more deliberative process than we ever saw during the Bush administration and give him credit for going through the effort, despite Republican efforts to short circuit him and test his patience.

Of course, some details of the speech have already been leaked such as the size of the new force and the need to create benchmarks for the Afghan government to meet. But I would look more closely at how the President ties these items together into a cohesive whole. Does it make sense as an overarching philosophy? Are there sufficient safeguards in case things don’t go as anticipated. Is there a plan B?

I’m looking forward to hearing the results of President Obama’s deliberative process and hope he hits the ball out of the park, for the good of the country and the American soldiers sacrificing so much on behalf of it.

Democrats Deserve Victory

The Democratic Party deserves a pat on the back after its squeaker win on Saturday night in the U.S. Senate. Passing a large complicated bill is even more difficult these days than when Medicare and Social Security were enacted because our company has become more partisan and splintered into a collection of one-issue interest groups.

The power of these interest groups was clearly illustrated during the House debate when the Stupak amendment was needed to put the Democrats over the top. This amendment mandated more restrictive pro-life language on abortion than is usually the case.

Anyway, it’s somewhat of a miracle that Majority Leader Harry Reid was able to hold the fractious party together, if only for one vote. The Democrats are all, at least, willing to debate the legislation as opposed to the Republicans who will have none of it.

The old saying, “I don’t belong to any organized Party, I’m a Democrat,” still holds true today and augurs potential disaster down the line without continued compromise and horse trading. At the very least, I do not see how Senators Joe Lieberman and Blanche Lincoln will ever vote for any bill containing a public option, though I think the other centrists can be persuaded, specifically Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson.

One possible solution would be to change the public option from an opt-out situation to an opt-in situation. This, perhaps, would satisfy the liberals and moderates alike, though there still may be some grumbling on the more liberal House side.

Palin Palooza

Sarah Palin’s book tour would be laughable if its premise were not so possible.

That premise, the possibility of electing Sarah Palin to the highest office in the land, would be an anti-intellectual reaction to the Obama administration. It is troubling to think the American people would fall for the same Joe Sixpack theory prevalent in the Bush administration.

Haven’t we learned the potential catastrophes possible with an incapable leader at the helm? The way George W. Bush mangles the English language, a capability shared by Sarah Palin, is the least of the problem. Think about what President Bush accomplished in eight short years: Hurricane Katrina, two foreign wars, a global economic collapse and more.

Yet Ms. Palin pushes blithely ahead, staying in the public spotlight, yet making no effort to learn about current issues, a lack of intellectual curiosity. She may be a nice person, someone you’d like to have at a barbecue, but that shouldn’t be the main criteria for the highest office in the land.

Many question whether the Katie Couric interview was an attempt to trap Sarah Palin or whether she exposed her real character and qualifications. Well, I suspect we will be able to come to some conclusion about that in the coming weeks.

Healthcare Heroes

Healthcare heros — they remain to be determined. What conscientious representative will step up to the plate when all seems lost in our struggle for national healthcare?

The road ahead seems so fraught with peril; it makes me despair sometimes about the prospects for passage. Currently, we don’t have heros but anti-heroes; short-sighted ungrateful members of Congress like Joe Lieberman, a man who defied his Party solely for the sake of his own reelection.

And then, as if to justify his actions to himself, he insisted on campaigning for John McCain and, most egregiously, recently threatened to filibuster even consideration of the healthcare bill — due to his ulterior motive to defend his campaign contributors in the insurance industry, based in Hartford, CT.

And despite his attempts at justification, maybe even desperately trying to pull the wool over his own eyes, that’s what his recent stand amounts to. A reward to his campaign contributors and an abdication of any real concern about the lives of ordinary citizens, often mired in poverty.

And how can he claim to be religious with his unfeeling, callous actions towards people who are dying every day for a lack of health insurance.

But I have faith in this country. Someone will step in to the breach to help us secure the victory. Just like someone always has in this great land. The Joe Liebermans of this country are always vanquished by those with true vision — those determined to include all our citizens in this great experiment called America.

Will Obama Step Up to the Plate?

One of the more intensive debates going around political circles these days concerns whether President Obama will step up to the plate. He hasn’t done so yet, at least not with health care. The debate has been largely left in the hands of Congress, and there is about to be an explosion over the public option.

President Obama has expressed support for that option but hasn’t twisted any arms to get it passed. In fact, it almost seems like he would be satisfied to get any health care program passed.

As to the troops in Afghanistan, the more politically risky move would be to lead the country and say we’re not going to get caught up in this quagmire. But despite all the hours of debate, it seems like President Obama will acquiese to the addition of 40,000 troops as well.

The effort to rein in enormous salaries on Wall Street has so far been limited to just seven companies who received massive infusions of federal aid.

President Obama was elected on a mandate of change, but he often seems willing to go along with the crowd rather than exercise Presidential leadership. It is the quality of leadership that the country is hungry for, and we need it desperately.

Our national infrastructure is crumbling, the highways and bridges, yet the stimulus program does not seem to have addressed this critical need.

I have faith in President Obama and think he will eventually step up to the plate and exercise true leadership. Yet he hasn’t done so yet.

Melding Five Health Care Bills into One

Well, we’ve finally reached a new milestone. Committee work on the health care bill is done, and we can look forward to a contentious floor debate in both the House and Senate. But first, the multiple bills approved in multiple committees must be combined into an overall package that can pass each chamber, and then, after conference deliberations, both at the same time.

The feat may seem worthy of a Houdini, but I believe it can be done. Why? Well, it’s not because of the courage of our representatives — it’s because their jobs are at stake. There’s nothing like a little self-interest to propel the legislative process forward. If the Democrats can’t achieve this, despite the clear backing of a majority of the American people, and overwhelming political majorities, the results will be demonstrated at the polls because the Democrats will have proved themselves incapable of governing.

There will be a lot of noise, and a lot of jockeying for position, and many debates with sincerely held beliefs. But as the false supporters peel away — the insurance lobby comes to mind — the real question will become whether the election of President Obama means anything. He’s a smart guy and can read the tea leaves as well, so I’m thinking something will eventually be pushed through. However, nothing in politics surprises me any more, and there may be some unexpected developments down the road.

Stay tuned.

Noise About the Nobel

All the noise about the Nobel Peace Price and the award to President Obama is just that, noise. Whether or not you believe he deserved it — some would say the change in world opinion about the United States is phenomenal — it represents one of a number of distractions used by the Republican Party to divert attention from real world policies that affect every American.

If you remember the main story before the Nobel Prize, it was the fact that the Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan body, had scored the health bill drafted by Senator Max Baucus of the Finance Committee as budget neutral. The Republican Party had no effective response to this development; they were sputtering with excuses about why this bill designed to provide health care to millions should still be defeated.

Though it has become fashionable to decry the lack of action by the Obama administration, and I would agree the main body of his work should still be ahead of him, the President has accomplished a phenonmenal ammount in just a short period of time.

He has enacted consumer protections aimed at the credit card industry; he has expanded CHIP, the child health care insurance program; he has moved forcefully to put the auto industry back on solid footing; and he has prevented what looked like an imminent collapse of the world financial system. Not bad for a couple of months work.

So next time you hear Republicans yelling about the Nobel Peace Prize, tell them to get a life and do something positive for a change.

Afghanistan or Bust

President Eisenhower warned us about the military-industrial complex, and it has become a force to reckon with in the early 21st century. One general recommends a substantial number of new troops in Afghanistan, and it becomes almost impossible to argue with him. The hawks on Capitol Hill rally to his side, and he conducts a little risque agitation in the press, and President Obama is over a barrel about what to do.

The general in question, General McChrystal, seems to have forgotten who is the commander-in-chief and the well-established rule in this country of civilian control of the military. His recommendation is acceptable, but granting interviews to the press is not and represents a clear breach of military protocol. It also makes it harder for President Obama to evaluate the situation and come to the best decision without undue influence from any side.

The history of Afghanistan is well known. It has rejected colonial influence from some of the greatest empires in the world including Great Britain and the Soviet Union. Before we attempt an ambitious project of nation building over there, we need to consider the unique factors of that rugged, inhospitable land, and how many soldiers, as well as resources that we desperately need in the United States, should be spent on an ambitious, uncertain objective.

Foreign Policy Conundrums for President Obama

President Obama is being tested like never before. Crises and/or major decisions loom in Afghanistan and Iran, and the way he responds will give us a good indication about his shrewdness, character and ability to navigate through tricky alliances and confrontations.

In Afghanistan, a request for more troop is pending from the generals “on the ground.” But due to mission creep and a corrupt election, our reason for staying in the faraway country is being questioned both within and outside the administration. If our original reason involved capturing Osama bin Laden and defanging Al Qaeda, why do we care about the Taliban? Can we fight Al Qaeda without a major nation-building exercise? Vice President Biden seems to have the right idea here, but it’s questionable whether President Obama can be flexible and change course. The lives of young soldiers depend on his decision.

In Iran, just before the first-ever negotiations with the United States, the existence of a new, secret nuclear plant has come to light, and Iran must deal with the repercussions. How will the United States use its new leverage in the situation to bring about real change?

Compared to the obstructionist positions of the Republican Party, foreign policy presents a much more difficult challenge. Will President Obama be playing chess with our enemies, and staying a few moves ahead, or will they present a conundrum and stumbling block for the new President?

A Personal Tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Here’s my personal tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy and the Kennedy clan.

I grew up in a very political family and was taught early on to be a Kennedy fan. We, too, were relatively well off, and my Dad always held the Kennedys in a type of awe and reverence.

I still remember, as a toddler, my parents and grandmother huddled around the TV set during President Kennedy’s funeral. I didn’t even know what was going on, but I felt the sadness and asked what was wrong.

Later on, I remember my Mom saying that I was the same age as John, Jr. and going to a prep school, Exeter, while he went to Choate. After getting admitted to Harvard, I remember a swirl of people passing by at the edge of the Yard, near the Union, and someone telling me that’s Caroline.

I was in Faneuil Hall, almost by chance, when I stumbled upon an event during Ted Kennedy’s campaign against Jimmy Carter. I remember him going down the aisle toward the podium and feeling a simultaneous surge of electricity as he passed by.

I remember listening to Senator Kennedy’s speech at the Democratic Convention that year and feeling saddened that the better man did not win.

Later, after I was employed by the Westchester County Democratic Committee, I wrote a letter about my environmental feelings and got it published in the newspaper. I sent it to Bobby, Jr., and he actually called me up out of the blue. I was kind of stunned when he asked if there were any way HE could help ME. But I guess that’s just the Kennedy style.

More recently, I was quite upset that Caroline Kennedy was passed over by Governor Patterson. She has the real Kennedy charm and grace — in my opinion, more than anyone else in the family now — and she’s shy and beautiful, too. I defended her in an interview on WVOX — you can listen to it on my company’s web site at Cut-It-Out Communications Interviews.

So, I’ve always been at the fringes of the Kennedy family, but even that brush against their destiny has left me awestruck.