Words

Words matter. Whether you are a bus boy or the President of the United States; your words matter.

During the campaign, Senator Obama never missed an opportunity to lambast President Bush and his administration. He derided them for “cronyism” and claimed that lobbyists will not ‘find a home’ in his administration. Of course he didn’t mention that they wouldn’t be looking for a home – just a job.

One of his first executive orders, issued on Jan 21st set up the standards for what President Obama called the highest ethical standards of any administration. Dozens of lobbyists have already entered the Obama administration, some of them working in the very arenas where they have recently been paid lobbyists. It’s always nice to know that ethical standards can be waived. Personally I have no problem with people being lobbyists. I think it’s a matter of free speech. I’m against bribes, kickbacks, gifts, and goodies for politicians, but I have no problem with a company or industry representative making their case to a law maker. But what good does it do to set up these “ethical standards” when you are just going to turn around and waive them whenever it seems appropriate? How is this any different than previous administrations?

I mentioned “fiscal responsibility” and have blogged about it in the past, but lets talk numbers. The budget projections that Obama gave have us in red ink for the next 10 YEARS, even though he optimistically thinks that the recession will end next year. His budget plans to increase our almost $11 TRILLION dollar national debt by $2 TRILLION in the next FOUR YEARS. So according to his estimates we will be out of the recession next year and so at least two years of his administration should be normal US growth years, but he plans to overspend during those two years and the four years after that if the American people are willing to re-elect him. Does that make any sense? Would you invest a single dime in a company that gave that kind of financial outlook?

Of course, these are just words on a teleprompter. Considering his little glass buddies seem to find there way into any presentation, whether it is a cabinet appointment announcement or the State of the Union, maybe we should be asking the person who loads up the teleprompter what all of these words really mean.