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Dear President O,

"Well listen ...."  This is a phrase you use to preface many of your heartfelt beliefs.  OK, I am listening since you've promised to do the same.  I have listened.  You've reminded me of the old EF Hutton commercials ... "When EF Hutton talks, people listen."  "When Barack Obama talks" ... yes, I stop and listen often to the annoyance of the person(s) I've previously been in conversation with.  You have my full attention.  Just don't end up like EF Hutton ... immersed in scandal and eventually swallowed up by our multi-billion dollar financial institutions that bear enormous fault in our current economic crisis.  You can't afford the current trends of political scandals.  Neither can your girls.  I know I'm preaching to the choir.

Yes, I'll listen to you, but make no mistake about it, I'm not a groupie.  I listen to you with a critical ear with full knowledge that there are going to be things you say that I don't like.  I will refrain from my patented knee-jerk reactions.  But I will let you know when I'm displeased.  Thus far, you've remained relatively silent on the Middle East Crisis.  I understand why.  For now.  One President at a time.  But among other reasons, I would speculate that there's a political tight rope that has to be toed carefully when speaking on matters involving Israel.  Speaking out against Israel can quickly get you labeled as antisemitic.  But what does NOT speaking out FOR innocent Palestinians make you?  Just remember, speaking the truth is hard.  But it's the right thing to do.  What Israel is doing may be the right thing to do in the defense of their way of life, but their methods, tactics and disregard for innocent human life is simply wrong.  You've already demonstrated that you can "give it to us straight".  Please don't make exceptions.

We are inching closer and closer to your historic day ... our historic day ... our world's historic day.  I'm queasy with anxiety and anticipation.  Soon the time for talk will be over, and it will be time to act.  Rhetoric will no longer suffice.  Both supporters and detractors alike will be scrutinizing your actions.  You're off to a good start, in my opinion.  Your focus is in the right places.  Your economic plan seems sound.  It still has to yield positive and progressing results though.  This litmus test will be hanging over you like Damocle's Sword.  Our economy, and indeed the world economy, has to be sorted out in short order.  It can't be fixed in short order, but the ball has got to get rollin' in the right direction quickly.  I've read a number of stories on Tokoni of people losing their jobs.  It seems like I hear on a daily basis of this company or that company shutting it's door.  I get the unemployment update every day.  I pray that the bleeding stops soon.  I've been unemployed twice in my life during good economic periods.  Even in those circumstances, it was a bitter situation to endure.  I can not fathom what it would be like now.  But you know this more personally than any other politician I've ever experienced.  That's why so many people have hope for the first time in a long time.

You've been second guessed and critized already by the Democrats in Congress for your economic stimulus plan.  Welcome to partisan politics.  Oh wait, that's your partyisn't it?  Well, get used to it, and welcome to really your first taste of the Separation of Powers.  People with perceived notions of power have an overwhelming need to wield that perceived power.  But then again, Congress does work for us.  So, you have the potential for somewhere around 305,000,000 stakeholder critics.  Doing what's popular is not always the same as doing what's right.  You'll always have critics along the entire political spectrum because the decisions you make will affect people's lives.  Real people.  And if you want some guidance, I suggest you go to Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio.  I saw her on C-Span talking about releasing the remainder of the $350 billion left in the TARP fund.  I was angry at the facts she presented on what the financial institutions are doing with the money they already have in their greedy hands, and the lives they are destroying.  I am encouraged though that at least Ohio has a representative exposing the abuse and looking out for us.  I hope my representatives are behind her and are closely scrutinizing the conditions attached to releasing the rest of the funds .  Once I find that video, I will post it.    

I recently watched my Governor, David Patterson, give his State of the State (my state) address.  He summed it up best when he said "... our state of the state is perilous."  I find it rather ironic that a man that is legally blind can see more clearly than other politicians.  Perilous is an appropriate word for our nation also.  But having America in peril is like backing a lioness with cubs into a corner.  There's no doubt to the ferocity of that battle.  On our road to recovery, we have taken the first step in admitting we are in peril.  "Hi, my name is _______, and I'm an American in peril."  Now let's get to the business of recovering.

Governor Patterson also said, "This is a time for action. This is a time for courage. This is a time for hope."  Hmmm, that sounds almost Obamaish.  Maybe I'm not the only one you've helped change.

Sincerely,

TOL (thinkingoutloud)