While a nation has been mesmerized by the notion of "hope" and "change," we're now getting a peek into just what those words mean to Obama. He can no longer get away with just giving smooth speeches and wooing crowds with no substance or record to stand on. Now he actually has to DO something.
We already know that much credit has been given to Obama without any basis for it. Case in point:
So let's take a look at the first actions of our new president. Obama decided to:
~Close down Gitmo.
~Call leaders in the Middle East.
~Halt all trials for suspected 9/11 terrorists.
~Freeze salaries of those making over $100,000 in the senior White House administration, and promise that such salary freezes will eventually extend beyond the White House.
Do you have the warm fuzzies still? I myself have been fairly creeped out by the first three moves. And I'm not alone. 9/11 families spoke out on his decision to close Guantanamo and to halt the trials of accused terrorists. Click here and here to read their reactions.
As for the salary freeze, conservatives are probably uttering a collective "we told you so" regarding what exactly constitutes being "rich" in Obama's eyes. We've gone from $250k, to $200k, to $150k and now $100k.
By the time these freezes "extend beyond the White House," I'm sure the threshold will be even lower. But we are to take heart, according to the speech given by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, because whatever is done to us, has already been done in the White House.
Oh wait. Except for Obama himself. No salary freezes for him.
But yes, I'm sure when people are having their salaries frozen in the midst of an economic crisis, they'll be just fine with it because, hey, it all started in the White House.
I think Obama supporters need to throw up all that Kool-Aid they drank and take a harder look at their messiah:
(You may need to sign into YouTube to see the above video. Obamans have banned together to flag it as inappropriate and have successfully had it censored by Google. What are they so afraid of? You can read the full story on this controversy here.)
