Blog #9: 100th day of President Obama

April 29th marks President Obama’s 100th day in Office. If you recall back in November, I promised we would evaluate President Obama after 100 days. Well here we are! The CNN channel plans to commemorate his 100th day with a big night of programming by looking at last year’s primary and reviewing the general election night. The White House press secretary Robert Gibbs indicated this milestone is not a big event, and they have plans do nothing special; he stated the 100th day is “Not a ton different than the 99th.” Mr. Gibbs is probably correct, it is not a huge event, but it certainly is a point in time to pause and reflect upon President Obama’s performance.

I want you to think hard about the job President Obama has done since taking the oath of office. Think about the challenges he has faced with the economy and how he has dealt with it. Do you think the stimulus package is a good thing for our country? Consider his actions with other world leaders. Has he represented the US well? He set a deadline for the closing of Guantanamo, is that a good or bad event?

I have mentioned only a few items for your consideration, while omitting several others. Feel free to comment on anything as long as it relates to President Obama’s performance. Finally, I want you to give him a grade A,B,C,D, or F and justify why you feel he earned that grade.
Let me pause for a moment and remind EVERYBODY this exercise is one of the great privileges we have as a democracy. We can speak openly about our government without fear of reprisal.

Let me also remind you this assignment is not a reflection of your political views. I want you to objectively evaluate the job he has done. Please make sure your opinions are well thought out and well articulated. Above all else, be respectful of others opinions; you may disagree with someone in a polite manner.

Blog #8: Bailout Money

This blog is not an attack on any political party, but rather a scorching criticism of an abuse of power and money. And we’re not talking about just anybody’s money, but mine and yours. Click on the link below to learn further about the horrendous act that AIG committed with taxpayer bailout money. This one really angers me!

The other day while at the bookstore I overheard a comment “It’s the average American that’s getting a kick in the seat of the pants, not those executives or politicians.” That perhaps summarizes the situation best! Granted AIG returned the money, and Congress passed a 90% tax on those bonuses, so the end result is the money went back to the treasury. However, what sort of mentality does AIG have that the bonuses were paid in the first place? Would they have voluntarily returned the money if not caught? Congress is angered but they are the very ones that approved the money without stipulations.

Consider this: should tax dollars be used for correcting others mistakes? Should tax dollars be used to pay off private debt, and if so, who should get that money? I have a mortgage and would love for someone else to repay that loan despite the fact I promised to pay the money back.

Getting back to AIG, should we point an accusing finger at the executives in that company? What about the politicians that approved the money? Should specific guidelines have been given with that money? These are but a few of the observations I want you to consider. Post your response to the fiasco going on with AIG. Make sure your opinions are well thought out and well articulated.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7621574.stm