Judgement Call

Every one is weighing in on Obama's first 100 days in office. Many have said give the guy a chance. Others have said they still have high hopes. How well did we do in the first 100 days of our jobs, and so on.

I'm having a problem with all of that, and yesterday's little photo op stunt over New York does nothing to ease my mind. Here are a few thoughts on why.

Let's look at the photo op first. The administration seems to be fueled by them. He's here, he's there. Who's tending the store? I've had people tell me nothing happens of which he is unaware. If that's so we have a problem. Forget about the stupidity of the stunt without making sure everyone who needed to be notified was notified. Let's just look at the cost of it in dollars and cents!

I've complained about this before. Obama is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to flitting around in Air Force One for his photo ops. Yet the administration is putting restrictions on everyone and everything in the name of financial solvency. Well, how do you explain even considering updating your PR files by flying Air Force One and an F 16 fighter around the skies of New York City? It costs about $50,000 an hour to fly an F 16 and $68,000 to operate Air Force One. The White House has said, "Oops, sorry. It won't happen again." Sorry, not good enough. Little things do count.

Beyond that, he has not chosen the best and the brightest for his cabinet positions. They have been, in many cases, payback for support. Sebelius, Napolitano, Vilsack, Salazar and yes, Clinton. The number of his appointees that have had issues also bothers me. Would any of his appointees that had tax issues have paid up had they not been nominated? He cut Richardson loose for the sake of appearances; why not the others?

I am glad Obama is articulate. He's proving to be quite skillful at side stepping issues. I like his wife, his kids and his dog. I suppose it's nice the tabloids have dubbed him "hip" and a "hunk". I guess I'm too old to appreciate or be impressed by that. It has nothing to do with how I feel about how he's doing his job as President. He campaigned for the job for two years. He knew full well going in what the problems were going to be.

I don't like the heavy handed way the administration is insinuating itself into private enterprise. I don't like placating the unions while every one else has to sacrifice. I'm uncomfortable with so much being piled on the plate. There was dish like that which was popular in Rochester restaurants when we lived there. It was called a "trash platter".

I don't like living in a constant state of angst. I want to know there is substance behind all the manic activity. So too does the rest of the world. King Abdullah of Jordan, in an interview on Meet the Press, indicated there had best be some substantive agreement on the Israeli/Palestinian peace process after Netanyahu's upcoming visit with Obama or other nations would begin finding their own solutions.

The time for pacifying speeches is over. It's time to put the pom poms in the closet and roll up the shirt sleeves. There will be plenty of time for the rah rahs and pom poms when something has actually come to fruition. Don't let Michelle's garden be first.

As for those first 100 days on the job and how did I do? If I had done no more than talk a good story, I'd have been fired. I was not.