I will confess that my mind was not on politics or anything this week. I was just told a few days ago that The All-American Rejects have a new album out, and as anyone I’ve talked to in the last 24 hours will tell you, I’m pretty excited about that. Yes, I am severely behind the times, but I’ve come to terms with my chronic lateness.
But not even Tyson Ritter’s emo squealings were enough to completely distract me from the outside world and the problems already faced by Barack Obama’s administration. And, oh Lordy, there are plenty.
Let’s start with Pakistan. Obama seems to be continuing the George W. Bush doctrine in regards to Pakistan, as evidenced by the recent drone bombings in the country that left as many as three children dead. Not exactly a PR coup, especially when administration officials like Joe Biden refuse to divulge any details that really tell the public anything. Moreover, while the U.S. government insists it is working with the Pakistanis, the Pakistanis claim that there’s been no communication regarding the air strike or any “policy” to go along with it.
Back home, Obama’s come under fire for going back on a couple of campaign promises. He signed his first bill, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, into law after having posted it online for only two days. During the campaign, he pledged to make all bills available for online viewing for five days prior to being signed in order to increase transparency in government. Eyebrows have also been raised over the use of politics as leverage in Congressional voting; Politico reported last week that Obama’s aides promised to “release local job numbers in the districts of GOP members of Congress who voted against the [stimulus] plan.” Karl Rove responded with shock and dismay on his blog, proving once and for all that irony is not dead … just in a diabetic coma.
I’m trying not to over-analyze this. And I’m especially trying not to make more out of these issues than I should. But I’m feeling a little burned, to be honest. Neither of the domestic transgressions are major issues, and there will not be direct consequences that make me worried for the future of the Obama administration. I’m just beginning to fear that Obama’s plans rely mostly on good intentions and that those same intentions are wearing thin mighty quickly.
Since he took office, Obama has continued to speak as though he’s still on the campaign trail, delivering statements filled with the usual platitudes about what the American people deserve. I’m judging him based on his actions and how well they live up to his words.
In the words of Dr. Wilson from “House”: “It’s possible to believe in something and not live up to it.” I expected Obama and his team to believe and live the dream at the same time. Now I pray that this past week won’t be demonstrative of the future of American government.