Dems, incumbents get wake-up call

John F. Harris, Jonathan Martin: POLITICO

RICHMOND, Va. — Eager to drain the 2009 elections of drama and import, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs claimed Tuesday night that President Barack Obama was “not watching returns.”

You can be sure that he is studying them closely now:
The off-year elections were, in two big races, an unmistakable rebuke of Democrats, reshuffling Obama’s political circumstances in ways likely to have severe near-term consequences for his policy agenda and larger governing strategy.

ObamaCare and Me

By Zane F Pollard, MD

I have been sitting quietly on the sidelines watching all of this national debate on healthcare. It is time for me to bring some clarity to the table by explaining many of the problems from the perspective of a doctor.

First off, the government has involved very few of us physicians in the healthcare debate. While the American Medical Association has come out in favor of the plan, it is vital to remember that the AMA only represents 17% of the American physician workforce.

Who does Geithner think he is?!?

Oh, that’s right, he’s Socialist/Fascist President Obama’s right hand man and Treasury Secretary. What’s next, socialized medicine, nationalization of banks and business, government control of oil and energy, or maybe they’ll be done with business for a while and turn their attention to ways of isolating you as a threat if you are against abortion or a member of a conservative group.

Come to think of it, they’re already working on all of the above….

Want to know what’s wrong with Washington? EVERYTHING!

We voted for change because the sky was falling and people were sick of seeing the same face at the head of the table. Change came in the form of screaming political leaders from the Democratic Party who lamented about being left off the dinner list for far to long.

Democrats blamed Republicans. Republicans glanced at cameras with sheepish stares claiming how misguided change was if it came in the form of big government. The big government party represented by Andrew Jackson’s jackass promised that they weren’t interested in spending us out of trouble, but a trillion dollars later no one can believe them.

Now what? We spent a lot of energy and a lot of resources looking for change so now that the change has come in the form of a debt that my grandchildren will have to pay, who do I blame?

Obama and Dems headed for pending fiscal disaster

Hasn’t Obama and the Democrats on Capital Hill heard of the KISS philosophy?

Daschle bows out…

There’s the bright spotlight, the embarrassing revelation of tax fraud, the intense scrutiny, and vast investigation by former colleagues Tom Daschle had to consider while fighting for a nomination as the Health and Human Services Secretary.

Perhaps it was too much to handle.

Closing GITMO: Is it Soft or Smart?

President Obama is expected to sign orders to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Thursday. Supporters say it is a message that America intends on changing their approach to controversial issues in dealing with foreign aggressors, and a first step toward working with other countries on a level the Bush administration did not. Critics fear it’s soft and places American interests in a defensive position.

President Obama: “Our patchwork heritage is our strength”

With one quote the President summed up the social challenge before him.

President Obama’s call for a more personal investment from all American’s is dependent on his ability to convince a cynical society to recognize diversity as the strength he alluded to in his address.

Editorial: The True Miracle of the Day: The Peaceful Transfer of Power

By Peter Roff
Conservative Commentator/Former Senior Political Writer for United Press International

Inauguration Day 2009 is as important as everyone says it is. There’s no escaping it. It is, as most of those covering it have already observed, an historic day, full of meaning for people all across the world. That a mere half-century after a time when blacks in parts of America were routinely prevented from voting we inaugurate an African-American president of the United States is a time of celebration for us all. It is a tangible symbol of how far the nation has come on race, one of the thorniest issues we as a nation have ever had to confront. We must not, however, lose sight of the fact that this is a subtext of the real story.

Editorial: Hey America, Take a Chill Pill

By Liz Peek
Financial Columnist

Whoa there America– take a deep breath. As impressed as we all are with the significance of this moment — we are about to inaugurate the first African American President of the United States — it is possible that our collective giddiness will lead to the worst kind of disappointment. President-elect Barack Obama is being breathlessly compared to FDR, JFK, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. So far — he has won an election.