Mr. President Here Comes 2011

New Years Resolution “Suit Up For Battle”

First, have to explain to some old friends my support of Obama. Complaints about his lack of any ideological commitment to real change arrived via e mail. I am reminded of a well known AARP saying when seniors complain about the terrible ills of old age. Response, “better than the alternative.” That’s about how I feel about our President. He is not only an anomaly being the first Black but also how he got elected with that sweep through the Internet was very new.

Mr. President, Welcome back from warm friendly sunny Hawaii ! Hope you are in a good strong mood for a fight. That’s is what is going to greet you on January 2nd. The GOP stung by the Tea Party stalwarts are going to come out swinging at everything you try to do. They are single minded in their objective. “NO SECOND TERM.” I know you don’t like to hear this but they just, “viscerally hate you.” You have to give up that grand illusion that, “if you keep making nice they’ll come around.” It will never ever happen. So, lets get on with it. Or as my friend Elaine says, “Get a grip.” Here’s what you need to do. Hopefully, “we can make you do it.” More about that later.

In sports, or military parlance you need to grab the ball and dominate the field with your initiatives. To do that requires that you make very clear to the whole country what exactly needs to be done to change the economic climate. Your Administration has saved Wall Street the Bankers and their bonuses. Now you have to save the jobless, the foreclosure victims, save your Health Care Law with that same kind of determination you showed on the Bush tax cut deal and the Start Treaty. Yes working the phones to Richard Trumka at the AFof L CIO, Andy Stein and all your friends on the Internet to rally support for what you are trying to do. I emphasize again, the need to get your program objectives down to simple understandable slogans. Remember you are not teaching a class at the U. of Chicago or Harvard Law School. Your talking with a lot of everyday folks gathered at a local coffee shop or at a Blue Collar watering hole.

There is an important lesson to be learned from The Tea Party bruha. To their credit they were able to chorale much of the anger of citizens who lost their jobs, or their homes, or both. Contrast that with the Bank Bailouts and Wall Street bonuses and they BLAME YOU FOR FORGETTING THEM. That’s what you now have to fix. The only way to do it is with a vigorous no holds, clear cut agenda for correcting the inequality. My friend Stanley Aronowitz some time ago wrote a program for Progressives in which he suggested that our central argument be based on FAIRNESS. That is exactly what has been lacking in the recent economic rescue.

Get your veto pen ready to strike down any of the GOP shenanigans to turn back the clock on Social Security, Medicare, Abortion and Education just to mention the major issues that come to mind.

I know you have another review of the Afgan war coming up. Well use that opportunity to get us out of there. We can’t afford that adventure any longer both in lives lost and wounded soldiers filling our military hospitals. It is becoming increasingly clear that the terrorists that are threatening us come from all over the globe not just Afghanistan. Its a corrupt sinkhole that will keep us there forever. Time to get out.

My earlier reference to, “make me do it.” was a statement FDR made to A Philip Randolph who was complaining about the lack of help for the members of his union. FDR wanted to see a mass movement in the streets demanding that he act hence, “make me do it.”

Finally Mr. President, a final bit of advice from Baron Von Clausawitz the great Prussian Military Strategist. Paraphrasing, when the enemy has you surrounded and outnumbered and your not sure what to do, “LAUNCH AN OFFENSIVE.” In the meantime have a Happy New Year and best of luck. Your going to really need it,