A Heart To Heart Talk With President Obama

Mr. President, As one of your supporters, it is time we have a heart to heart talk.

Two years ago, you proclaimed "our time for change has come," and you spoke of breaking the power of lobbyists and you promised to end the Iraq War and our nation's dependence on foreign oil. You promised affordable health care for all and assured us of government "transparency." You were going to rein in Wall Street.

You were going to slash earmarks and you stated one of the first things you would do is close that human rights embarrassment, Guantanamo, you termed "a no brainer." And the list goes on. But instead, you continued most of President Bush's policies, including his "War on Terror," his Iraq War and spread wars to Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

Meanwhile, you escalated the Afghan War and as lives are lost and billions of dollars disappear in the hands of a corrupt government the U.S. keeps in power, you "stay the course," as George Bush would say.

While even your health care program is threatened, as Republicans won't fund it and because you cast out the public option you promised, a judge ruled it in part Unconstitutional because it forces people to buy insurance, insurance incidentally from giant insurance companies whose lobbyists made that a part of your program.

With huge media attention, on Wednesday (12/22), you signed the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," so gays can serve openly in the military. But with no fanfare, in the dark of night you will sign a bill continuing the funding of the government through March, without which the government would be forced to shut down. This is the financial equivalent of "don't ask, don't tell."

Today, we as a nation are sinking in the red ink of irresponsible spending, bailouts, stimulus and endless wars. Not long from now, as interest rates rise, we will have trouble even making the interest payments on our debt, which will threaten such vital programs as Medicare, Social Security and Education.

In the face of this pending financial collapse, amazingly you don't propose slashing expenses nor raising taxes as Europeans are doing. Instead, you and Congress extend the Bush tax-cuts, thus mushrooming our red ink. Yet 15 million Americans are out of work and millions more aren't counted because their benefits ran out. In addition, millions are underemployed or work for far less money than they did before. I in 7 Americans now eat on food stamps, that is 43 million people!

We can continue killing and maiming people, occupying their nations and creating weapons of mass destruction, as we go broke, which is the path we are on now, or you can unite us as a people and lead us to the greatness we have the potential to attain. As Abraham Lincoln said, "My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth."

Dick