What Obama should say ( and do)

It is time to fight.

During the past few months, Obama has been inflicted with death by a thousand cuts. While he has –rightly, in my view, shrugged off each of these minor nicks- birth certificate, Muslim, Christian, socialist- the cumulative effect, unfortunately, in the face of silence, has been to generally and gradually weaken his presidency and maybe his teams resolve. Little drops of blood do add up. And indeed that has been the objective of the republicans all along. Obama’s team just did not notice it or choose to ignore it or at least did not mount a spirited enough response. But no longer. It is time to fight back even bloodied as they are.

This is what Obama needs to say and do:

“Four years ago we embarked on a journey to change this country and the world. We knew it was going to be difficult. Changing the status quo is never easy. We wanted to carry a message of hope and change because we believed that everything was possible if we came together as a country to tackle our problems. It is true that we may have underestimated the power of the forces arrayed against us- the republicans hoping for “waterloo” moments, special interest groups and lobbyists, big moneyed groups. But remember despite this massive opposition, we have achieved a lot of what we set out to do:

Our economic team has helped prevent the collapse of the US into the second great depression and the world economy

US economy has shifted from a tailspin to some measure of stabilization and some prospect of job growth next year;

Major investments have been made in green technology laying the foundation for the future

The race to the top in education spending has created reform in a large number of states from the bottom up,

The size of Peace Corps has been doubled, Pell grants increased substantially and a major fillip given to Volunteerism

A stimulus package has helped undergird infrastructure and will probably do more to advance non-carbon energy than anything that might have emerged from Copenhagen.

Universal health insurance (with promised deficit reduction!) is now law of the land providing coverage to over 20 million of our fellow citizens, covering pre existing conditions, allowing students to stay on their parents plans - a goal sought by Democrats (and Nixon) for decades.

Equal pay for women has been passed into law.

And all this in just two years into our first term. And remember where we began:

In 2008, just two years ago,

The country faced a fiscal crisis and a second great depression

We were mired in two wars abroad

We were losing 750000 jobs per month

Dow was at 6000

There were no investments in infrastructure or green technology

The American auto industry faced bankruptcy.......

All of this was the result of eight years of republican profligacy and mismanagement. And adherence to policy prescriptions, which were proved to be resoundingly wrong.

The issue we face today is simple and we have a choice. Do we go back to the ruinous policies of the republicans which led to this financial and economic crisis in the first place or do we continue to build a better future for ourselves based on the new foundations of fiscal responsibility, green economy, better health care, and a competitive educated work force. Do we continue to be embroiled in foreign wars without end or do we disentangle ourselves from wars that should never have been fought.

Be certain of one thing, the republicans only promise a return to the past if they take power and will strive to undo all the gains we have made and tear down the foundations that we have laid.

We may not yet have got everything right in the first two years but we have laid the foundations for the future and will correct and improve those that we have

We have finished one war responsibly as promised and will also finish the second leaving our country to focus on the future

We will build on the foundations for the new economy

We will create a 21^st century economy to lead the world

We will tackle the immigration problem

And we will bring the long-term deficit under control

This we believe and we must continue to have faith in our abilities to shape the future.

Not participating is not an option. Sitting at home hoping for change will not achieve anything. As the poet Dante has said "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality”.
Anything worthwhile is worth fighting for and persistence is the noblest of virtues in the pursuit of our objectives.

It is time to fight for our beliefs and values and the vision we have for our country. “