ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Putin Punishes Georgia</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style3 { height: 68px; } .MsoNormal {} h1 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style4 { font-size: large; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; } .style5 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } .style6 { text-decoration: underline; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> &nbsp;<table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr height="79"> <td width="133" height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"> <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="7" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="482" height="79" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="79"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="300" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="624" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style3"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="2"> <td width="133" height="2"></td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style4">Obama&#39;s Report Card</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curtis</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b><a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright Jan..19, 2010<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <bAbout the Author</u> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style5">&nbsp;O</span>ne year into his first term, President Barack Obama faces some daunting challenges, especially keeping the public optimistic about his political agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Already showing signs of cracks, Massachusetts Atty. Gen. Martha Coakley finds herself in an unexpected dogfight with little-known GOP challenger state Sen. Scott Brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While no one knows the outcome yet, Brown has a good shot of pulling out the upset for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy s senate seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Once thought sacrosanct by Democrats, Coakley poor showing speaks volumes not just about her bad campaign but, more importantly, a referendum on the Obama presidency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Barack decided Dec. 2 to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, antiwar Democrats and independents groaned, realizing his campaign stance was more nuanced to make a case against former Presdient George W. Bush s Iraq War.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Campaigning to heal the country s red-and-blue rift, Obama proceeded after his inauguration to allow congressional Democrats to dictate his political agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Allowing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to set his priorities, Obama backed the Democratic Party s most liberal goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Instead of focusing, before anything else, on the economy and jobs, Barack allowed congressional Democrats to set his legislative agenda, including passing health care reform and cap-and-trade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Given the dire economic circumstances, Barack allowed House and Senate Democrats to call the shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While many fiscally responsible Democrats were skeptical of his $687 billion bailout plan, they went along to see whether it could create more jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When the job market continued to head south, those same Democrats grew skeptical of economic recovery.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Remaining fixated on health care reforms in light of destructive trends in the U.S. economy caused problems for Barack s approval ratings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Congress passed Obama s Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act Feb. 11, 2009, there were great expectations for improving the U.S. economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While job losses have slowed, Dec. 09 s 85,000 lost jobs threw cold water on the president s economic recovery plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Coakley s problems in Massachusetts are only partly her problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>She, like Sen. John McCain faced running for president in 2008 with a highly unpopular incumbent, has been hurt by disappointment over Barack s first year performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Dropping from 68% to just under 50%, Barack must stop taking orders from Congress and get down to basics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If Coakley loses today in Massachusetts, it spells doom for Barack s health care plan and his progressive legislative agenda.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Even if Coakley prevails, the White House must go back to the drawing board and take the public s pulse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Most unemployed workers care more about jobs than they do about getting government-subsidized health insurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Most people want more government benefits but not at the expense of the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Barack has yet to make a convincing argument about how subsidizing 30 million unemployed citizens reduces budget deficits, now approaching a record-breaking $2 trillion a year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, and a number of the nations s leading economists, warns about growing budgets hurting long-term economic growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Given this scenario, it s no wonder nearly 60% of voters view the president s health care reform unfavorably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Despite hurting his approval ratings, the president has plowed through without considering negative consequences to his approval ratings.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Obama gets high marks for his oratory and decisive action to rescue Haiti after a devastating earthquake Jan. 14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Where his grades fell down, Barack allowed his Congressional allies to dictate the agenda for his first year in office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While Brown s election to Kennedy s Massachuetts seat would be devastating blow to Barack s first-term, it would also temper Democrats bravado and force Barack into more bipartisanship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Getting health care passed at the expense of more partisan bickering doesn t accomplish his main promise on taking office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Most important legislation, affecting both Democrats and Republicans, is best accomplished as a bipartisan event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Baracks health care legislation hasn t compromised with Senate or House Republicans, making it look one-sided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>As Barack promised on the stump, working with both sides of the aisle pays rich dividends.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Barack s first-year grades get and  A for effort but a  C- for working on both sides of the aisle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Coakley s predicament directly relates to disturbing national trends showing the country more polarized than ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Barack came to office promising to work with both sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Pelosi and Reid haven t shown the kind of bipartisanship needed to heal deep rifts inside the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>No one should blame Barack for coming to Coakley s rescue since his legislative agenda depends on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If Coakley can t pull it out, Barack will be forced to either compromise or face more bitter partisanship between now and his reelection in 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Barack can t blame today s economic mess on Bush without looking disingenuous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Nor can he blame Congressional Democrats for ruining his political agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He needs to switch gears in 2010 and show he s capable working cooperatively with Republicans and Democrats.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span class="style6">About the Author </span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <b>John M. Curtis</b> writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author <i>of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a></i> and <i><a href="books.html">Operation Charisma</a></i>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td width="133" height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="133" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Home</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> || <a href="articlesindex.html">Articles</a> || <a href="books.html">Books</a> || <a href="teflon.html">The Teflon Report</a> || <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> Reactions</a> || <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">About Discobolos</a></strong></font> <div align="left"> <p><font size="1" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">This site designed, developed and hosted by the experts at</font><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"> <a href="http://www.cmeonline.net" target="_blank"><img height="30" width="138" src="images/cmelogoANIM.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></a></font></p> </div> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>