If Barack Obama expects to be a truly great President, he will need to.....

End both the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan,
cut the defense department by at least 1/2,
rid the world of Nuclear weapons,
Nationalize the Banks and other financial institutions,
put some CEO bankers in jail, while firing the rest of them,
and getting all AIG bonuses given back,
close Wall Street down, period,
and they should take Insurance Companies with them,
and Tax the heck out of Corporation,
enact a 2 trillion dollar infrastructure recovery package,
announce his plans for single payer health care to be enacted,
while getting rid of the deficit,
Save most people from foreclosure,
clothes, feed and shelter the homeless,
make college education nearly free,
legalize Marijuana,
and free non violent drug offenders from prison,
do something about Guns,
revamp the public school system in a way that doesn't offend kids, parents or teachers,
change the bankruptcy laws,
Get taxpayers their money back from the bailouts,
Save GM, Ford and Crysler Unions per their contracts, but let the actual companies go belly up
Repeal DADT,
Announce his support for Gay Marriage,
start prosecuting those who committed and those who authorized torture,
release whatever classified documents and photos would show to the world
what our government had been doing in our name,
have George Bush and Dick Cheney sitting in jail awaiting trial,
sign the Kyoto Treaty,
Save the wolves and the polar bears,
tell Israel to kiss our ass,
and solve the Israel/Palestinian issue,
make peace with Iran,
Force China to address their human rights issues,
enact election reforms,
close down cable television,
name Kucinich as Secretary of State or of Defense,
punch Michael Steele, John McCain and any other Republican that gets in the way in the face,
name Rachel Maddow as his press secretary,
and Paul Krugman as his Secretary of Treasury,
nominate Jonathan Turley to the Supreme Court,
lower gas prices,
Hold a state dinner for Hugo Chavez,
normalize relations with Cuba,
raise rich people's taxes,
enroll his kids in public school,
and get a dog from a rescue shelter.

And then maybe, just maybe....
Barack Obama will be an outstanding nearly perfect President......
not for all of course,
but for some.

End both the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan,

normalize relations with Cuba,

announced his plans for single payer health care to be enacted,

changed the bankruptcy laws,

Repealed DADT,

Announced his support for Gay Marriage,

enacted election reforms,

started prosecuting those who committed and those who authorized torture

Saved most people from foreclosure,

and this for dessert:

clothed, fed and sheltered the homeless,

it appears as if you try to deflect.

Don't know about you.

Those are literally the things that I would like Barack Obama to do.

Obama is not "the Messiah"- that "superhuman" many of us were accused of slugging down massive quantities of kool-aid rallying behind. I never expected him to be perfect. I never expected him to act on every issue to my satisfaction, and on my command.

I've never seen Barack as anything other than a MAN. One who I believe is doing a decent job coping with a mess of messes.


I like your list- I appreciate the way you put things into perspective.

:hi:

after every decision he makes.

calling him a mistake

with a lot of micro managing that are not part of how one measures greatness.

Appoint Rachel as press secretary??

One's person definition of greatness is another's worse, as we have seen, and continue to see, with Reagan.

Showing a real compassion toward the common man, as he has done, instead of a campaign slogan, is good enough for me.

They would find new things to be disappointed with.

For example, there is a strong probability that at some point, Michelle will have worn shoes too expensive for some people. Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu Jamal will still be in prison. Some citizens might have more than $300 in the bank which would make them "fat cats."

I could go on and on.

That should be on my list!

Obama could do this before breakfast if he wanted to...
It is way over due.

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Everyone gets their pony Pres Obama will be "just like bush".

:D

Just cut the cable......and let real journalists take over those airwaves!

Wouldn't that be grand.

Just doing that might allow everything else on the list to get done! Seriously.

I like Rachel where she is, a critic of government. Any politician with Rachel as a press secretary would have an unfair advantage.

--imm

It's about doing what is right, just, effective and Constitutional.

Obama could sit around on the Oval Office carpet and play video games for the next eight years and he would still be ten times "greater" a leader than George W. Bush, but that doesn't mean people should not make their concerns and expectations known to him. I worked to get him elected, I voted for him, I support him and he works for me.

and to my elected representatives as well as many in the media.

And I doubt there is much he can do about the Polar Bears and it's not his fault.

But if he can do what he needs to do,
we should be able to do the same.....so your suggestion is for our list,
but I think it is unreasonable to put it on his list....cause, if he does what I say he should,
he's gonna be awfully busy.

He could do public funding of elections though....
that might do it.

That's the task of the voters.

Reality, however, is that we're stuck with some of them. Ben Nelson, for example, is in a state that's close to 70% Republican. As hard as it may be to believe, the guy he beat in his last race (Pete Ricketts) would have been significantly worse. The alternative to Ben Nelson in NE is a diehard conservative.

But he's only got 4 years so far...

Perhaps the biggest disappointment in this administration- as thus far, they've shown little interest in doing that in any venue.

On Foreign Policy, especially these occupations, Obama is a profound disappointment. :thumbsdown:

This reminds me why I despise Middle-of-the-road war hawk pro-corporate politicians.

Obama is center-right: bank on it = NO CHANGE HERE. :(

:crazy:

Forget that.

He should have got it all done in the first month!

:P

enact a 2 trillion dollar infrastructure recovery package,
rid the world of Nuclear weapons,
while getting rid of the deficit,
Save GM, Ford and Crysler Unions per their contracts, but let the actual companies go belly up
close down cable television
name Kucinich as Secretary of State or of Defense,
punch Michael Steele, John McCain and any other Republican that gets in the way in the face,
name Rachel Maddow as his press secretary,
and Paul Krugman as his Secretary of Treasury,
nominate Jonathan Turley to the Supreme Court,
lower gas prices,
Hold a state dinner for Hugo Chavez,
enroll his kids in public school,
and get a dog from a rescue shelter.
Force China to address their human rights issues,
do something about Guns,

He has already raised rich people's taxes, so you can check that one off of your list.

-tell Israel to kiss our ass,
and solve the Israel/Palestinian issue,
make peace with Iran,-- I understand why would want to tell Israel to kiss our ass, but that may not be in our best interest. A better situation would be to treat Palestine with the same respect we give to Israel, this would play into Obama's strength.

put some CEO bankers in jail, while firing the rest of them,--Innocent until proven guilty. We would have to have trials.

Nationalize the Banks and other financial institutions,and getting all AIG bonuses given back,--This would be nice, but not necessary.

change the bankruptcy laws,--I don't know very much about bankruptcy laws unfortunately.

End both the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan,--At least end the Iraq war.

cut the defense department by at least 1/2,--After we leave Iraq the budget will naturally be cut.

Save most people from foreclosure,--This is what the bailout money should have went to, but that is not Obama's fault.

Save the wolves and the polar bears,--Signing the Kyoto treaty will help with this.

have George Bush and Dick Cheney sitting in jail awaiting trial,-- By releasing the documents he has been releasing, this is indirectly being worked on; as long as he does not obstruct.

normalize relations with Cuba,--He has already started doing this.

Which leaves...

announce his plans for single payer health care to be enacted,
clothes, feed and shelter the homeless,
make college education nearly free,
legalize Marijuana,
and free non violent drug offenders from prison,
revamp the public school system,
Repeal DADT,
Announce his support for Gay Marriage,
start prosecuting those who committed and those who authorized torture,
release whatever classified documents and photos would show to the world
what our government had been doing in our name,
sign the Kyoto Treaty,
enact election reforms,

And I would like to add ending the warrantless wiretapping program.

We can dream can't we?

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(except those toward the end of course).

I'd appreciate inroads to all the others.

He's doing well enough all the same...but he can and will do even better.

And luckily, he has asked the American people to tell him what they want. He doesn't mind getting earnest criticism from people with different ideas. He knows many of us have been in agony for the past eight years, watching our country's founding principles get stomped upon and our economy be demolished by war profiteering and vicious tax cutting. Yet he welcomes our comments.

I don't think my support for taking a more rational approach to new leadership in Latin America, including Venezuela, by leaving them alone to organize their governments and economies as they need to for long-term sustainable development, is not ridiculous.

I hope President Obama's diplomatic outreach signals a willingness to discontinue our government's campaigns to destabilize regimes perceived as socialist in Latin America. Those old policies, to help our corporations through brutal covert operations to overturn the will of their people, are destructive to the future of humanity.

We need to have different modes of governance and economic management in the world as reference points because the escalating climate crisis will require new ways of handling those areas. We can observe their examples and may find some aspects that will help us re-tool for a less wasteful, less polluting future.

Mr Kucinich would not be named to State and certainly not Defense, but to the newly created Department of Peace and Non-violence. This is what many of his supporters seek to establish. When making fun of people, it is best to be accurate. Plus what could be more hilarious than a depratment that seeks peaceful solutions to issues international and domestic, seeking to reduce war as well as violence in our cities and homes. That is really funny stuff, worthy of mockery!

Although unfortunately for you, I'm as serious as a heart attack.

These are all things I would like to see happen.....

I don't necessarily want to see a new department....as we have enough departments that could do what the Department of Peace is envisioned as doing. Working for Peace is after all the best defense.

But the Department of Peace and Non-Violence is more than you are assuming it to be. And there is no cabinate level Department that addresses any of that. Ours is an extremly violent country, even with all the war removed.

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If our kids are going to pay for a deficit, at least let them get health care, lower college cost, better k-12 schools, a cleaner environment, less nukes, and green energy.

That might be worth dealing with a deficit.

Means getting something for something instead of nothing for something a la Bush.

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Although some are so blind, they cannot see.

There was already going to be a deficit.....
Like I said, might as well have something to show for it.

If I had reasonable health care, a clean environment,
well funded public schools for my children (who went to private school instead),
and affordable college tuition, then I wouldn't mind owing for that.

However, I do mind owing for a trillion dollar war of choice in Iraq.

isn't he supposed to get everyone a pony?

and the push for health care than the other two you listed. So which should he change first?! Is your list more important than mine?

in the case of releasing the pics all it takes is just him giving permission. just as he did before and now changed his mind on that.

I'm in shock. It's thread after thread of, "This is NOT change we can believe in." or "Another Bush." or "Way of upholding the rule of law." or "You're losing supporters O." or "You're losing the base."

I really want to see next weeks poll numbers...

:yourock: