Don't Hang Your Hopes On "Stimulus" Plan

Despite Barack Obama's promises, it appears as though it will be business as usual in Washington with one exception; the Democrats have run amok. Not only are we lacking in checks and balances, but the so-called "economic stimulus bill" was drawn up and signed faster than the media could keep up with its provisions.

Obama went from vowing to ban earmarks to supporting a bill that is riddled with them. It's the first of many promises Obama made as an up-and-coming politician who did not understand the politics of politics.

During the campaign, Americans were wooed by his inspiring rhetoric about change. Either Obama spouted promises simply to get elected or he really believed he could get things done like no one before him. Either way, it doesn't inspire much confidence now.

Included in the plan are $1,000 tax cuts for working couples, whether they earn enough money to pay income tax or not. This turns a "tax cut" into a welfare handout in some cases.

According to Republican Rep. Mike Pence, there are items in the bill that, perhaps, it could do without.

"In legislation before the Senate this week, $20 million for the removal of small to medium-sized fish passage barriers or $25 million to rehabilitate off-roading trails for ATVs is not going to put this economy back on track," Pence said. "And, it was exactly that kind of wasteful government spending that resulted in unanimous Republican opposition last week."

Most assuredly, America is in need of a plan and the basis of the economic stimulus plan was sound. However, thanks to Washington's typical quid pro quo style, the plan has snowballed into an out-of-control, monstrous spending plan. Looks like it's still "politics as usual" in Washington and, unfortunately, there's a rookie at the wheel.

No We Can't

Barack Obama is already retracting promises made on the campaign trail and he hasn't even made it to the Oval Office yet.

According to reports from MSNBC, Obama is recanting his promise to eliminate earmark spending in Congress. More than a week before he has the job, he is beginning to realize that he's not going to get his $800 billion stimulus plan without the use of earmarks.

He got a bit too big for his britches and believed he could have full domination over the United States. One faction he neglected to consider was a little problem called Congress. Checks and balances are exactly what protects the U.S. from a dictatorship. Unfortunately, it also makes it much more difficult to get things done without concessions.

Next up...the elimination of Guantanamo Bay. This too is a promise that Obama concedes may have been overly ambitious. While he doesn't approve of some of the tactics used to obtain information from terrorists, he admits that this promise is going to be much more difficult to carry out than originally thought.

President-elect Obama is about be ripped apart as, even his own supporters, attempt to collect following a year of financial and verbal support in 2008. Every person, PAC, and organization who contributed to the near $1 billion his campaign raised are all going to have their hand out. It appears as though it's starting to hit him that he cannot please everyone and only the mindless Obama disciples are going to continue chanting, "Yes we can" without asking "How can we?".