Housekeeping

Some of you may have noticed-- most maybe not-- that I have added Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish to The Blog List (he was always in the list of good reads). I'll get into the why of that in a minute.

I am still having a love-hate affair with The Blog List because I like how it lets readers know when blogs have been updated plus the titles of their most recent blogs-- except for three of the ones I visit regularly-- Here in the Hills, Blaugustine, and Darlene's Hodgepodge. I don't know why it can't recognize their updates but it can't; so they linger at the bottom. They are among my own daily reads; so I hope anyone who uses The Blog List to keep up to date on the most recent postings, won't forget to go to the bottom and click on theirs.

The reason I had put Sullivan's blog in the second list is he is a professional blogger, who posts frequently, which means I knew he would dominate The Blog List by always being at the top. Lately, with the political situation in such turmoil for figuring out what's up or down, I have decided that's not a bad thing. I like his blog for the links and the way he fairly evaluates what is happening with Republicans and Democrats (During this election, he supported Obama, had my take on Palin and McCain but he will post whatever he comes across on both sides of an issue).

Today he had a good link to what is going on with [California]. States are in a mess with some unable to give tax refunds for 2008. Schools, at least in my area of Oregon, are warning of a reduced school year when they run out of money and pushing kids into larger and larger classes. I don't know if the recovery money can come fast enough or be directed well enough to deal with this in time.

Then he had this link: [For Obama it's more about Showmanship than Sunlight]. It's early on the Obama administration to be making judgment calls as he's still feeling his way into these issues, but the article reflects a concern I also felt about what he did with this rush rush bill which he then put off signing to make into a show. As Sullivan has also mentioned, I have learned to not find fault with what Obama does too quickly. Often it's the long range where he's looking, not the short range. Check out Bob Herbert's New York Times column for a take on that: [Riding the Wave].

I get it that the main thing a president has is the bully pulpit; but I also see that in this case, he pressured the bill through without a lot of time; then he waited. Do I totally trust what is in this bill? Not considering that Democrats had the main input and they have a way of being as selfish as the Republicans.

Where it comes to Obama, there are other issues that I keep an eye on. He better do what he said. Having a leader, who his side applauds no matter what he does, is how we got where we are. One thing that I resented with Republicans these last 8 years is how they supported Bush without doing research or thinking. Torture? Fine with us if it works! Does it work? He said it did and that's fine with us. Tax cuts in war? Hey, we are fine economically. Deficit rising? No problem-- at least not until a Democrat gets into office.

Ack!!! I would get so mad that they didn't call him to account and said I'd not do the same thing with Obama. When I have questions or don't know whether he'll do what he said he'd do (not as interpreted by the wing-nuts but what I remember him saying), then I will write about it. I am not a lock-step follower.

That said, I have no buyer's remorse about voting for him. What the Republicans offered (and still do with those in Congress) is more of what we have had or worse. McCain looks as unstable to me as he ever did and Palin... I said it all during the election about her. She would have been terrible as a president unless you were a right wing extremist.

In November, I had two possible ways to go with my vote and Obama was the choice I felt/feel was right. I had hopes for him and I still do. I want him to do what the people need and what he said. In that sense signing this away from the White House might be a good thing-- whether the intense rush was or not; but I will be watching and hoping he doesn't let himself get caught up in the hype that was created for him. It won't help him or us.

I hope Republicans will do the same thing. Hope for his success and when he does the right thing (as they see it) cheer him on instead of secretly try to undermine him. It's for the good of us all that we put aside this partisan war and recognize both sides have good ideas and make mistakes.

Dan Ackroyd Saturday Night Live Spoof

The photo is from this week-end watching the geese out at Finley-- one of those things Farm Boss and I do for our mental health (he took the photo out the car window as most of Finley is still closed to humans allowing only drive-thrus with a few trails open away from the main flocks).