What I've Learned From Obama's First Week

Michelle Obama's dress is getting a lot of attention, not for the reasons you'd suspect.

Obama's first week has taught me a lot of things. I'd like to share some of the things I've learned this past week because of President Obama.

Even with a Black President, the race card will still be played.
Politico reports that the Black Artist Association isn't very happy with Michelle Obama's choices of dress designers. The news article, entitled "FLOTUS duds get backlash" comes up with this quote:

BAA Cofounder Amnau Eele, who was a former runway model told Women's Wear Daily:

"It's fine and good if you want to be all 'Kumbaya' and 'We Are the World' by representing all different countries. But if you are going to have Isabel Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers do something too?"

I guess you still can't please all of the people all of the time. Even Michelle Obama can't make everyone happy.

Free speech may still exists, but if you know what's good for you, you won't listen to it.
Nothing says "I have no desire to deal in a bipartisan way" like Obama warning congressional republicans against listening to Rush Limbaugh.

President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.

"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he told top GOP leaders. (New York Post, "Prez Zings GOP Foe in $timulating Talk")

For the record, I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh. But for the president of the United States to tell members of Congress that in order to get along, they have to stop listening to Rush Limbaugh is partisan, unethical, and unconstitutional. No, Obama was not just expressing an opinion. If he was joking, he picked a poor example of stifling free speech to express it.

"Abortion Rights" trumps the right to life.
Obama lifted restrictions on U.S. dollars going to foreign countries to fund abortions. (Reuters, "Obama Lifts Restrictions on Abortion Fundng") While I'm certain this pleases abortion advocates, feminists, and people who hate children, what this means is that my tax money can be spent, not only in this country, but across the globe to fund abortions. The U.S. government not only ignores the fundamental right to life in our own jurisdiction, but magnanimously ignores it in any other jursidiction in the world.

Obama uses the military the same way Bush did.
In the first attack on al-Qaida with Obama as Commander in Chief, unmanned aircraft struck and killed suspected al-Qaida operatives working in Pakistan.

Pakistan's leaders had expressed hope Obama might halt the strikes, but few observers expected he would end a tactic that U.S. officials say has killed several top al-Qaida operatives and is denying the terrorist network a long-held safe haven. (AP, "Suspected US Missile Strike Kills 18 in Pakistan")

Looks like Pakistan's leaders were wrong about Obama. Looks like the anti-warmongers in the U.S. were wrong as well. Ah well. Back to business as usual in the White House.

The bipartisan presidency isn't.
Nothing says partisan better than a "I won - you lost," in-your-face comment. That it would come from Obama comes as no surprise.

President Obama listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus package during a meeting with congressional leaders Friday morning - but he also left no doubt about who's in charge of these negotiations. "I won," Obama noted matter-of-factly, according to sources familiar with the conversation. (Politico, "Obama to GOP: 'I Won'")

I take note that being a bad winner seems to go with this presidency. On a separate occasion, Obama's hubris also gets the better of him as he became irritated with the press for daring to ask him questions. (Politico, "Obama Flashes Irritation in Press Room")

While rehashing these bits isn't "news" in the strict sense of the word, I am impressed with our president's track record in just under a week. I only need to add in Obama's social agenda posted on WhiteHouse.gov where we learn that social agendas can be dictated over the will of the people's vote or over the will of state constitutions. If enacted, Obama's social agenda will truly represent the tyranny of the minority.

I can hardly wait to see what Obama does in the week to come.