Tomorrow, President Obama is hoping on Air Force One (have you seen the History Channel’s Look at AF1?) and flying to Denver where he will sign THE LARGEST SPENDING BILL in the history of the country. First off, if he wants to help out, why not sign it in his office (which doesn’t require an Air Force Jet to get to)? Secondly, is it really as stimulating a bill as everyone thinks it is?

It’s supposedly going to help create jobs in the Pacific North West upgrading and building a new power grid. However, due to planning and permitting and other factors, any kind of hiring bump may be put off until 2011 if it even happens there. So any immediate effects in that area are going to be negligible. Secondly, there are so many different handouts in here, but nothing to actually stimulate the economy or create jobs (out side of government jobs). Don’t believe me? Read it yourself.

It is interesting to see though, how the candidate of Hope and Change has quickly become the president of Doom and Gloom claiming that he has “inherited the worst economy since the great depression”. A claim that simply isn’t true. In fact according to the Pittsburg Tribune, its really the worst economy since Carter was in office. In fact, the Misery Index (inflation rate added to the unemployment rate) was 21.1 when Regan took office in 1980 and todays Misery Index is only 7.6 (there hasn’t been any inflation). The article at the Tribune also goes on to note another Democrat President “who was not obsessed with class warfare, as today’s Democrats are”. In fact, Kennedy cut taxes and unemployment rates dropped to 3.8 percent and the annual tax revenue rose. Regan proved the point again in the 80’s.

Lastly I want to point out a good article at the Economist discussing the politics of the recession and the fact that despite claims of bipartisianship, its been a “my way or the highway” attitude coming out of the new administration. Arguing that the Democrats are using the current economic climate to push their causes and ideas through as “stimulus”.

It will be interesting to see if the stimulus bill helps the economy or ends up being one of those weight loss products that makes grand promises that it never delivers on.

Related External Links

• Democrat Economy « The American Catholic
• Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » Obama’s Impossible Position
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I didn’t vote for him. I don’t agree with most of his ideologies (both economic and social) nor the policies he promotes. I’m not sure that even he knows what he means when he says “Change for America” (it became clear during the election that most of his supporters had no idea. I will however, support President Obama and his decisions because like it or not, he is the leader of our Country. The Hawg says it best today though as he writes about the double standard displayed by many Obama supporters who are calling for the Country to support our new president while they “scraping the ‘Bush is not MY president’ stickers off their bumpers”. And I do agree with him.

While our country is founded with the idea of Freedom of Speech that so many misuse, its hard for us to take ourselves seriously when we drive around with bumper stickers that say “Don’t Blame Me, I Voted for the Other Guy” or “F (and in really small letters) The President”. Yes, we have the right to make those statements, but just because we have the right doesn’t mean that we should.

Barack Obama was sworn in today as our 44th President and as the 43 men before him he deserves our respect. If we, as a country cannot show him the respect he deserves, then we certainly cannot hope that the world will and if thats the case, then we’re in a heap of hurt.

Besides we do it all over again in 4 years anyways.

Today is an important day in American History, the 44th President of the United States is sworn in to office in a peaceful transition of power. In many countries around the world, this is considered an oddity (as the outgoing president would still have his ways to control many of the things in government or the transition would be anything but peaceful). One thing is sure, no matter who you voted for in the General Election, this is truly a day to remember and one in which our thoughts and prayers should be with the Country and the man elected to serve as her Commander in Chief.

Here are 10 fun Inauguration facts for you to munch on today…

1. George Washington’s was the shortest inaugural address at 135 words. (1793)
2. Thomas Jefferson was the only president to walk to and from his inaugural. He was also the first to be inaugurated at the Capitol. (1801)
3. The first inauguration to be photographed was James Buchanan’s. (1857)
4. Abraham Lincoln was the first to include African-Americans in his parade. (1865)
5. William McKinley’s inauguration was the first ceremony to be recorded by a motion picture camera. (1897)
6. Warren G. Harding was the first president to ride to and from his inaugural in an automobile. (1921)
7. Harry Truman’s was the first to be televised. (1949)
8. Lyndon Johnson was the first (and so far) only president to be sworn in by a woman, U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes. (1963)
9. Jimmy Carter’s inaugural parade featured solar heat for the reviewing stand and handicap-accessible viewing. (1977)
10. The first ceremony broadcast on the Internet was Bill Clinton’s second inauguration. (1997)

Sometime last week, Obama unveiled a new “logo” while he was speaking to the Democratic leaders. Surprisingly enough, this logo didn’t last more than a week. Hailed by Obama supporters as “insightful” and “inspiring”, the new logo took on the current presidential seal and made many question the reasoning behind it.

When I saw it, and when I read an email floating around about how he would like to change the National Anthem, it made me really question what else he would change about our country and the answers I came up with scared me.

Its true, he studied Marxism in college (anyone who took a Poli Sci course did) but he took more from the reading than most. Its also true, that he doesn’t wear the Flag pin or put his hand over his heart when the National Anthem is sung. He wants to see “health care for all” something the government shouldn’t be controlling at all and in a time when many Americans are looking for new and inventive ways to be able to afford gas, food and shelter, he wants to increase the funding for many government programs by raising taxes.

But the problem with Obama isn’t necessarily the fact that he wants to do all of these things, its nice to see a candidate that wants to see things done rather than toe the party line (oh, wait, thats what he’s doing!). Don’t get me wrong, McCain isn’t too much better in that regard either and its a tough call for me as to who to vote for this November. But if it comes down to voting for a Senator who’s been proven in both battle and the Senate or one who is still considered a relative new comer to the DC scene, I may just have to move to the Cayman Islands.

I’ve found the pres/vp combo that I’d vote for in heartbeat if only it would happen in real life. Mike Huckabee (the GOP candidate who currently has my support) was on The Colbert Report again last night and he reaffirmed his plan to make Steven his VP if he gets the nomination. While I’m sure its little more than a publicity stunt, I honestly think it’d be good for the country to have someone in office like Colbert who doesn’t seem to take the whole process too seriously (remember his bid in South Carolina?).

Of course if elected, I bet we see a huge rush on addiction treatment centers as people try to figure out if its all just a bad drug induced dream or not.

Would you vote for a Huckabee/Colbert ticket??

Apparently, people like Mike because he looks like your average medical supplies salesman from the midwest (I don’t know if there are a lot of Med Supplies salesmen there, it just seems like something they’d have in the midwest, doesn’t it?). He took the opportunity over the holiday weekend to go pheasant hunting. Apparently the group he was with bagged three birds and he even snagged one of the little buggers himself quipping:

“Don’t get in my way,” he said while pointing to the three dead birds.
“This is what happens…You vote for me, you live. You don’t…there you go.”

Got to love a guy with a sense of humor (of course, the shotgun he’s holding helps a little too). The media sees his rise in the polls as an effect of his likability. He’s the favorite uncle everyone has when they’re growing up, as opposed to the really old one who continually tells you how it was when he was younger.