Friday, October 09, 2009

The Wheel's Still in Spin



Congratulations to President Barack Obama for his Nobel Peace Prize. Love it!

He's got his work cut out for him.

What would you like see done -- with leadership from the Obama administration -- by October 2010? I'd like to see:

1. A lifting of the embargo against Cuba. Republicans would hate it but -- who cares? They already hate Obama, so in their faces. Also, close Gitmo by early next spring.

2. Some kind of improvements in Palestinian-Israel relations, including help for Gaza.

3. Containment of the Iranian and North Korean issues, without dangerous escalation.

4. Containment of some sort of the Afghanistan issue; avoiding another Vietnam.

5. Economic revival, jobs revival.

6. Universal health care in the USA.

7. More enlightened environmental, energy, transportation and telecommunications policies.

8. Withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq.

9. More protection of civil rights and human rights in the USA and advocacy elsewhere.

10. Better relations with Latin America and Africa.

How many of these are possible with Obama as American president? All of them. But even if some are achieved, that would be something. And he's already got the Peace Prize to prove it.

Today's Rune: Partnership. Video above: Alan Grayson (Scrappy Democratic Representative from Florida, originally from the Bronx) yesterday. I dig. The last thirty seconds are priceless.

5 comments:

the walking man said...

11. Write a presidential order allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military.







I had to replicate the video and take it to my sidebar. Well done sir!

Johnny Yen said...

Grayson's speech was awesome. I just posted it on my Facebook page.

I'm with Walking Man on that one. To quote the late Barry Goldwater, "I don't care if a soldier is straight as long as he can shoot straight."

Erik Donald France said...

Yes,, #9 covers it, but it should be emphasized with its own point, #11. Reform in the military, ending don't ask don't tell, etc.

Grayson is an interesting dude, and an inspiration for Democrats in the feisty dept. -- helps that he's indpendently wealthy, so not likely to be bought off by lobbyists.

Charles Gramlich said...

Although I support Obama the Nobel peace prize seems a bit premature.

Distributorcap said...

io wiash grayson was president or at least speaker