"Be My President Not My Idol"

With the nation going ga-ga over Michelle Obama's European trip with her famous husband and with the conservative news stations serving up the headline: "The U.S.- Road to Socialism", I am hoping we take a collective reality check.

Whether we like it or not this nation is viewed by most European leaders as brash, pushy, and demanding. At the onset of the Iraqi War our nation's leaders took a John Wayne, hard-nosed attitude with them with verbiage that said: "You're either with us or you're part of the problem". Even kind and generous Americans were thought of as "Ugly Americans" by most European citizens. So, it should come as no surprise that developing an amicable relationship with the European hierarchy isn't going to happen over night.

Michelle Obama's appeal, both national and international, can't bring further harm to the Prez's image here and abroad. Let's be honest about it, she's a breath of fresh air. A new look, a new voice. But isn't that her role?

As for the conservative talk shows, what credibility can be garnered when they feel the need to exaggerate the dangers of the economic course in which this country is headed. The answer is none.

As for the President I want him to stay the course, stay grounded, and stay away from concept that he should be hep, cool, and with it. I just want him to be himself. I don't want him to be my idol, I want him to be my prez.

"Global Warming"? ..Yeah, Sure !

Here in the south central part of the U.S. we have experienced some severe winter storms and even below freezing temperatures in the first week of April. Of course such weather brings out the expected comments about Al Gore and the issue of global warming. Surely you have heard them: "So much for global warming" or "It just proves that Al Gore doesn't know jack about climate", and so on.
Intelligent people say stupid things that get picked up by h/her not so intelligent peer and soon the average g/gal on the street is repeating a falsehood as if it were true. Unfortunately, had those who blew off Gore as if he were an alarmist, and looked at his main points regarding climate, h/she would have discovered a most interesting point: huge swings in weather conditions. Instead they sneer at the "Inconvenient Truth" and the former Veep as if he were the village idiot, not realizing that their very disparaging remarks identify them as such.

"Operation Firewall"

Fourteen tons of drugs burning in Juarez, Mexico.

Mexican drug cartels are fighting for the U.S. dollar in a modern drug war along the U.S./ Mexico border. Officials at the D.E.A. have reported that American consumers spend about $12 to $15 billion each year for illegal drugs and have pledged to bring such a demand to a grinding halt.

More than one year ago Congress passed the Merida Initiative in an effort to stop the violence and the flow of drugs into the U.S. The initiative calls for $1.5 billion in aid to Mexico with approximately $117,000,000 for military hardware and equipment (that's more than the Defense Dept. hands to Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan).

So, why isn't this program working? The Department of Homeland Security says the "shared problem, shared solution" hasn't gotten out of the portals of the Treasury Dept. because the new military technology hasn't been resolved. Huh? The word we should use here is bureaucracy.