Obamawatch Part 3

(This was originally posted on Facebook January 27, 2009)

Josh Nash, one of my former missionary companions, proposed an interesting point to me on my first Obama watch entry. He stated that he felt that most people were so excited about Obama being president mostly because they were excited to be rid of Bush. I work in an extremely liberal environment, so I decided to ask a few of my more liberal friends what it was about Bush that drove them so crazy. Responses varied, but included things like the war in Iraq, deficit spending, trickle down economics, patriot act, etc. I then posed a question to them. Who really has the power to implement all of those things you just couldn't stand about Bush? The answer surprised them, and it may surprise you.

Constitutionally the President of the United States has very little power. The only really effective way they have to implement policy- besides executive orders which Obama is making good use of- is to push an agenda through Congress. Executive orders can only go so far and can easily be overturned-as Obama is proving- so, if, as a President, you want to have real policy implemented, you have to go through Congress.

Coincidentally in the mid-term election of Bush's second term the democrats took considerable control of Congress. So to you liberals? Was it Bush that was keeping us in Iraq? Or was it Byrd's senate? Was it Bush who was causing such huge deficit spending? Or was it Pelosi's House of Representatives? (Speaking of deficit spending so far Obama is proposing spending beyond Bush's imagination.) Was it Bush who caused the Patriot Act to remain? Or was it the democrat controlled Congress who did not act to remove it? Pelosi is pushing for prosecution of the Bush administration for everything from war crimes to abuse of power, yet for two full years she sat and did nothing. Why? Could it be that they wanted Bush to fail? Could it be that if he looked bad Obama would be a shoe in? No it couldn't possibly be that.

To finish I would like to say how scared I am about what is going on with Rush Limbaugh. While I may not agree with the man I do think it's scary how much heat is taking. Originally, in a press conference, Obama stated that we should not listen to Mr. Limbaugh's comments because they were hurtful to the presidency. Now the national democratic convention is pushing a petition against Limbaugh for saying he would fail. As many rights as the Patriot Act took away it allowed the liberals of the world to criticize Bush doctrine. With only a week in office the Democrats are trying to restrict our free speech. America it is time to wake up and stop this now. After all the hate against Bush, all of the criticism, all of the heat, all of the Democrats in Congress who set him up to fail we are now allowing those very people to attempt to stop people like Mr. Limbaugh from doing the same thing to Obama. The time has arrived to say enough is enough. Our right to criticize President Obama is exactly what makes this country so great. When we lose that right, even in the slightest bit, we turn into an Iraq, North Korea, or even a Nazi Germany. Oh wait, I forgot, he's the messiah. Everything is going to be okay.