I love Pres. Obama but I am getting frustrated with the health care debate. In effort not to become too unhappy with the state of affairs, I try to imagine that Pres. Obama is waiting for all to shake out before he comes out with his final opinion. I like to think that he or members of a very trusted staff are actually reading and thinking about the details of the bill. No matter how many actual pages, it is going to take a while to read it all and markup anything that needs to be changed.

I choose to believe that this is what he is doing during this painfully tedious waiting period. So, I breathe, try to relax, and attempt to stay sane. I love your post as you hit the nail on the head on so much of the insanity. Especially with regard to Olympia Snowe, who does come across as a pinched-up with-holder of anything and everything. In the end, this game with Lieberman and Snowe will have been just something to feed the 24/7 hour cable cycle and stroke their egos.

Great job, keep them coming!

Late last night I tuned into Fox News to see what they were saying about the 23rd. Karl Rove came on to do a spin -- something like it was the Obama White House that stole the seat from the Republicans (!) -- that was absollutely absurd. Once again, it made a peace-loving person want to punch him in the face.

That wing of the party is filled with a bunch of bullies, liars and whiners. The looks of disbelief on the Fox News anchors faces at Hoffman's loss were worth tuning in, however...Priceless.

Brilliant, Joan -- absolutely spot on! :)

"It's unreasonable to expect that Obama would magically transform all of this in nine months"

That partial statement is the crux of the matter. Certainly, you know with the economy as out of balance as it is that it is next to impossible to alter the course of military spending for some period of time. In trying to get health care reform for one/sixth of our economy, it is not prudent to make huge adjustments to other sectors at the same time.

The housing sector is lanquishing, but I remain patient. He needs address one sector of the economy at a time, with a sufficient adjustment period to allow a settling out of the changes. Do his critics profess to know more about the economy than all the President's advisors in the US and throughout the world? We are in an unprecedented economic entanglement that must be handled with care. A house of cards is too easily collapsed.

Glenn, I think you are too hard on the President. Change can only happen in increments, as one change ripples out to all sectors. He needs time to finish what he has started toward ending the Guantanamo debacle. Certainly time is required to alter the course of the wars and properly execute changes that will effect the global economy.

I don't believe we should push the President to act precipitously as that is what has brought us to the position in which we find ourselves. Pres. Obama is analytical, not reacting by his "gut", and thank God for that!

The rest of the world sees the President's intentions and has honored him for same. The rest of the world does not live as we do in a "fast food" state of mind. I am saddened by your response as it seems uncharacteristic of you to misunderstand process issues. We went to the precipice of disaster, and little by little, President Obama is working to recreate not only our image with the rest of the world, but also a rebalancing of the global economy.

He deserves a break today...

I'm also hugely disturbed that Clinton was used this past week by the dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks media as a foil for President Carter, after Carter bravely said that the opposition to Obama was spurred by at least some racism.

I am trying to understand the Administration's reluctance to let other people fight the battle against racism. At this point, it would not be a healthy choice for Pres. Obama to soldier through any more open attacks against racism than he already has this year. I was prepared for Pres. Clinton to back up Pres. Carter, however.

I have to give Pres. Obama the benefit of the doubt that he is looking out toward bigger goals and the long range plans of his Presidency. Apparently, he believes in putting issues surrounding racism on the back burner. I just don't like to imagine this issue as an unwatched pot simmering up to a slow boil as it appears to be doing all around me.

There will be a day when Pres. Obama can talk about racism -- I figure sometime in 2012?

In the meantime, there must be some attempt to hold a mirror to the faces of the most hateful and ever-present racists (Limbaugh, Beck, O'Reilly et al). I would love someone to take on the task of writing about who or what can possibly stop this hate talk by the media. Racism, and its painful symptom hate speech, is truly a disease rotting the underbelly of society. As Americans, we work to cure most diseases -- why not this one?

"Sens. Specter and Bennet went from mealy-mouthed equivocation to strong support of the public health care option immediately after opponents announced primary challenges to them."

He is promising to support their bid for re-election if they get on board and champion the cause of our lifetime and his administration -- health care reform.

Some people MUST be strong-armed/cajoled/courted into the correct party position. If Pres. Obama can get meaningful health care passed, I can look askance at this tactic. If not, I will jump on your bandwagon.