Here’s what change means
Published: April 9, 2009
Ever since the Iowa Caucus, when Barack Obama began his march to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., he ran on the theme of “change.”
For months leading up to the election his opponents and non-supporters asked what he meant by “change.”
Ladies and gentlemen, I think you now have part of your answer.
Obama even before his inauguration began showing hints of a new day in Washington. He chose candidates for his administration’s open positions that he felt could help America reclaim its position as the world’s economic and influential leader. His selections were gender, color and party neutral.
He demanded that nominees be loyal to him as well as able to pass tougher ethics tests. Most did but several (Tom Daschle, Timothy Geithner, Nancy Killefer, Hilda Solis) withdrew their nominations because of tax problems while others failed the ethics test, most notably New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.
Geithner earned a pass from Obama for his tax evasion problem because he was deemed too valuable to let go. Obama took a lot of heat for making an exception for Geithner. In addition, the way Geithner began his stewardship of the Treasury Department had many of the president’s supporters wondering if Geithner was worth the aggravation. Geithner’s recent decisions and improved take-charge attitude mostly have quieted his critics and pleased his supporters.
The week before going to the international G-20 summit in Great Britain, Obama raised the ire of most Republicans, some Democrats and many people in the American financial system. By any measure, he fired General Motors CEO Rick Waggoner for not initiating change quickly or deeply enough to suit the Obama Administration.
The president, accompanied by his wife (many will say he accompanied her) then went to Great Britain for the G-20 summit. World news coverage verified the popularity of the first couple with the first lady receiving extremely high approval marks. Obama received a mixture of high praise from his backers and criticism from his detractors.
Watching the Sunday morning newscasts went as I expected. Republican and former President George W. Bush sympathizers concluded that Obama didn’t accomplish his two main goals – getting the other 19 leading economic countries to raise their individual debt levels and having those same countries commit more troops to help us hunt and fight al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Obama critics didn’t care for him trying to restore America’s standing in the world. Evidently, the critics believe Bush’s cowboy attitude was the way America should deal with the rest of the world.
I’ve got news for Obama’s critics. Today, people of color, including Muslims, outnumber whites in the world. And should there be any doubt, know that the majority of the world’s money is colored – black as oil from the Middle East and South America or green as loans from China.
On his trip to the G-20 Summit and his later tour of other countries, Obama tried to let the rest of the world know that they and America are equals and friends.
Nelson Graves, of Augusta County, is a columnist for The News Virginian. E-mail him at .
Reader Reactions
Below are excerpts from an editorial expressing the opinion of Nelson Graves. I wish to express my opinion of this editorial and in expressing that opinion, the paper asks that I be respectful and not be offensive, so I will limit my comments to those expressed by the mildly offensive and racist comments of Mr.Graves. Frankly I am shocked that the paper should fear offending anyone when they allow Mr. Graves a forum, in print, to express his transparent racist and socialist views.
“He ran on the theme of “change.”
Yes, change, like a President that does not salute our flag, calls our Constitution outdated,refers to our countries citizens as Bubba, and mocks it’s citizens and their God and gun clinging ways.
“For months leading up to the election his opponents and non-supporters asked what he meant by “change.”“
He cannot answer questions about his citizenship, how could he possibly answer questions about change, to answer the change questions, one must have a plan, I have yet to see evidence of a plan.
“He demanded that nominees be loyal to him as well as able to pass tougher ethics tests. Most did but several (Tom Daschle, Timothy Geithner, Nancy Killefer, Hilda Solis) withdrew their nominations because of tax problems while others failed the ethics test, most notably New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.“
Loyal to the President?? What about the people and the Constitution, It appears that he forgot that the government derives it’s power to rule from the people, not the President. If we were in Iraq or North Korea that would be called as dictatorship.
“Geithner earned a pass from Obama for his tax evasion problem because he was deemed too valuable to let go.“
Get’s a pass because he is too valuable?
(I have yet to see where he earned it.)
We now have a tax evader as the top man at the Treasury Dept. We common citizens would be facing down the IRS for such activity. Is this an example of world leading economics and ethics???
“By any measure, he fired General Motors CEO Rick Waggoner for not initiating change quickly or deeply enough to suit the Obama Administration.“
Since when is the CEO of a company a Federal appointee to be fired by the President? And why was he fired? Because he did not act fast enough for the President’s liking, can we fire the President because he has not fixed the economy yet or because he allowed AIG to hand out bonuses with our tax dollars? Is this the high ethics you were speaking of?
“ Getting the other 19 leading economic countries to raise their individual debt levels and having those same countries commit more troops to help us hunt and fight al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.“
We don’t need their troops. If they are going to make us police the world so that our citizens are safe at home, then let them pay for our military as they would a police force. Hey, that would pay for our military operations around the world. Wow, common sense strikes again.
“Obama critics didn’t care for him trying to restore America’s standing in the world. “
Restore our standing?? We are the only super power on the planet, why exactly is it we care what a bunch of cowardly, socialist, European and third world countries think?
“I’ve got news for Obama’s critics. Today, people of color, including Muslims, outnumber whites in the world.“
You make it sound like a race thing, or a color thing if you do not agree with the policies of the current government. Well I am here to tell you that it is an American thing, guaranteed to us under the Constitution, regardless of color, race, creed, to question the Government and make sure it goes where we want it to as citizens of this country, being critical of the president has nothing to do with color or religion, it is the job of EVERY citizen of this country to be critical of all governments, be they local or national. It is what has made this country work for over 200 years.
“Obama tried to let the rest of the world know that they and America are equals and friends.“
For over 200 years we have lead the world, we set the standards, the rest follow. We do not ask forgiveness or bow to kings. There is a great evil in the world and it is called a Muslim holy war or Jihad if you will. If you bow to the evils of the world, they will run you over, Nazi Germany is a prime example of that. If we do not stand against the current evil, mark my words, we will be attacked here in our homes. Don’t believe me? Look at the soft Clinton track record with the world and it’s result. Have we forgotten 9-11??
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