If you’ve followed Irregular Times coverage of Barack Obama over the past 10 months or so, you’ll have noticed an overwhelming barrage of criticism directed at the president. That’s not because we have a partisan axe to grind against President Obama, but rather because we feel that instead of countering the trends of the previous eight years, he’s done much to press the environmental, constitutional, and war failures of George W. Bush into some new canon of American governance.
Today I sat up and noticed two stories:
1. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee this next Tuesday, Pentagon officials will be presenting a plan to end the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy of discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans. This would represent, finally, an active step by the Obama administration to follow through on its campaign promise in this regard.
2. Barack Obama entered into an unscripted question-and-answer period with House Republicans that was like a tamer version of the British “Question Time” before Parliament. I would have preferred more roaring and more detail, but it’s a start. One of these days, we might get to see some actual debate.
These two developments don’t negate Barack Obama’s year of undercutting the environment, civil liberties and the peace movement. But they are two small steps back in the right direction, and I’m glad to see them. I hope to see more.
The American people are so uneducated that they are ready to give up their 1st Amendment rights. The Obama administration is taking full advantage of these people and here is a video to prove just how dumb people are. You will just shake your head in amazement!
shows to go just how easy it is to frame a question and get a predictable response. if the guy was representing himself as an affiliate of some obama organization, then i think he stepped out of bounds. i know, it was all in fun, sure made those people look stupid! or did they really want to repeal the first amendment? hum….
i’m always pleased to see IT pleased with our president, even a little bit. i know he has been slow and absent on some issues, but, he is definitely the best chance we got.
heaven forbid he loses so much support that the republicans get a chance to serve up the likes of sarah palin to the fools tater salad’s talking about.