Can’t We All Just Get Along

To criticize or not to criticize: that is the dilemma many face when evaluating the current job of the Obama administration. In an effort for individuals to better understand our stance and to see how our standpoint has helped (or harmed) the nation, there will be an exploration on various stances people have taken when assessing the 44^th President and his cabinet’s actions thus far.

Obama Administration’s New PR Move

Contrary to popular belief, President Barack Obama is not perfect, nor has his administration acted flawlessly in these opening months. His insensitive commentary about the Special Olympics on Jay Leno’s show (which former President George W. Bush would have been crucified for, by the way) aside, there’s still much to question about the young administration.

From this past fall’s campaign up until last Sunday, Obama and his team maintained that the fundamentals of our economy were “weak”. Obama even chastised Sen. John McCain for making statements to the contrary, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average floated between 8,000 and 10,000. Now, just months later, with the market at a slight uptick of 7,200+, these same fundamentals are “strong”. This according to Obama economic adviser Christina Romer.

The Electric Kool-Aid Loyalty Test

Oh, hello, I didn’t see you there. Welcome back. I hope you had—or are having—an enjoyable spring break and had a happy St. Patrick’s Day (or ‘Talk Like Shane McGowan Day’ as I celebrate it).

Gene Fowler once said that “writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” Computers have made this already difficult process harder. Do we honestly believe that Conrad or Dickens would have turned out better bodies of work if their pens and paper were replaced by a source of free and unlimited pornography and college basketball updates? Honestly it’s a miracle most of us make it out the door in the morning.

Why do I bring this up? Well, being as I’m on a Watchmen kick (slightly disappointed with the movie, but not as much as V for Vendetta or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen since you asked), the first chapter of Hollis Mason’s Under the Hood recommends that an author should “start off with the saddest thing you can think of and get the audience’s sympathies on your side. After that, believe me, it’s a walk.”

The reason I started with trying to garner your sympathy is that I will be delving into the Israel/Palestine issue.

The New, New Deal

See America Posters - if only government sponsored ads were still this cool...time for a change?

He writes his own books—both landed on the New York Times Bestsellers List. He listens to music as mixed as he is—Howlin’ World to Yo-Yo Ma to Sheryl Crow to Jay-Z fills his ipod playlists. His chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was a ballet dancer turned politician. And Obama’s own grassroots presidential campaign inspired a political art movement without precedent (check out my November post “A Portrait of Hope”…).

Obama is a cultural giant. And big government is back. This could mean good things for the arts.

Obama’s campaign was sympathetic towards and strongly rooted in our nation’s cultural issues. The Obama-Biden ticket promised a new arts policy—fighting away the copyright-obsessed world of creative expression and fighting for a new kind of accessibility to America’s best cultural forms.

Some see the establishment of a secretary of culture/arts as the next obvious step. But I know (as much as you do) that a new secretary isn’t what we need. Even Quincy Jones commendable fight for such a secretary and his online petition (just shy of 250,000 signatures) isn’t enough for to think otherwise.

What we need is action. And I think the president’s swift and strong actions as lifeguard to a drowning Uncle Sam are an optimistic start. His new economic recovery plan is a beefy “yes we can” initiative that’s better than a Band-Aid for the bad fall of our big businesses.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

It seems as though, as a nation, when we take one step forward, we follow it by taking two steps backwards.  On January 20th, we made history when we inaugurated the first African American president into office.  The election of Barack Obama marked a change in the right direction for the United States where race took a backseat to the betterment of this nation.  Fast-forward to less than one month later, and now we are mired in another cloud of racism all thanks to a cartoon published by the New York Post.

GOP Looks for Waste in New Stimulus Bill

Congressional Republicans face a tough road ahead of them for these next two years.  Until the 2010 mid-term elections, the GOP is handily outnumbered by Democrats in Congress, and has been stripped of their greatest asset.  You see, when a party is out of power as Republicans are now, and Democrats were from 2001-2006, it usually hopes for policy failure on the part of the opposition, and capitalizes on these missteps.  In the case of today’s political landscape, Republicans do not have such a luxury.

As we dip farther into one of our nation’s darkest economic hours, all Republicans can do is hope for success, because failure is no longer an option.

To Waziristan With Love

Obama and Hillary on their latest diplomatic foray.

Well, I was planning to start off with a bang, delivering a hard-hitting Israel/Palestine post. Don’t get me wrong, no one loves wild speculation more that me, but since a prime minister has yet to be picked, I’ll refrain from commenting at the moment.

So then, let us turn to an equally cheery place: Afghanistan and Pakistan (or ‘Af-Pak’ in beltway-insider lingo, where people seem to be under the impression that everything proper-noun should be contracted until it sounds like an Apple product).

Friday = POLITICS and EVENTS at JERK

Good morning,

Today! Head over to Emily Warne’s article to get your events fix – music! Thanksgiving! ballet!

Also, check out what John Cassillo and Jose Martinez have to say about what they expect for the opening months of the Obama administration.  Also notice Obama’s oversized ears.

Read on for the politics comic of the day…

Great Expectations: The Opening Months of the Obama Administration

 

As the countdown to Inauguration Day begins, both Republicans and Democrats alike should be anxiously anticipating the types of initiatives that Barack Obama and his administration pursue. What will he propose as his first measure of fixing the economy? What about the problems with the Big 3 in Detroit? Will there be a definite time table set for the war in Iraq? The possibilities seem to be endless.

Friday = EVENTS and POLITICS at JERK

Aloha,

Today! Swing by event specialist Emily Warne’s article for the run down on Ani Difranco’s upcoming concert and other holiday festivities.

Also, don’t forget about political columnist Jose Martinez’s post-election analysis.  Keep a look out for the politics articles in the coming weeks as both Jose and John Cassillo analyze Obama’s transition to The White House.

Read on for a funny interview Obama did a few months back with The Daily Show’s host Jon Stewart…