Jump the Shark Wednesday!

by Oly Mike

I think that President O jumped the shark with his State of the Union speech. Yes, it was a good speech generally and the guy has oratory skills, especially when compared with the last guy who was not fluent in any language except barstool dog whistle blather. But there was the awkward Winning the Future framing that lent itself to comparisons to President Gerald Ford's ridiculous Whip Inflation Now - WIN button technology that was supposed to address economic issues through lapel button technology. Come on, WTF, indeed. Winning the Future, is that the best we could get?

This past week, O has continued to juggle flaming bowling pins with regard to the situation in Egypt. Mubarak is done. The CIA front man Sulieman is not the step forward that the Egyptian people are demanding when they take to the streets and risk everything. They are not just tired of the corruption and brutality of Hosni Mubarak, they are tired of that system. The US getting behind Hosni's choice as backup (and coincidentally, the CIA connected guy in Egyptian government) is not the best we can do. These are dangerous times. Egypt may end up with an Iranian revolution outcome or they may move forward to something more positive, but they are moving forward. Backing the strong man (even if the name and face keep changing) to serve our political ends is not consistent with our principles. Back the revolution. Send the plane to whisk Hosni out of the country (HuffPo says Hosni may be traveling to Germany for medical checkups?) like we did with Aristide (that's metaphorical, I understand the mechanics of easing Hosni out of Egypt are different), then get ready to engage in meaningful discussion with the groups and individuals who emerge from the political darkness to the light of a new political day in Egypt. Mubarak has managed to suppress all political opposition so effectively for so many years that it is going to take a little time for the political parties to form. The Muslim Brotherhood has a head start because it is generally respected for service, it has no reputation for corruption, but the people of Egypt in the streets are not risking everything to establish an Islamist caliphate, they want secular democracy, a lower level of corruption and brutality from the government and government forces. We should be able to get behind that.

But instead we have the POTUS crossing the street to chat it up with the Chamber of Commerce. Let's face it, the US Chamber of Commerce is in political lockstep with the Koch boys, they are capitalist libertarians who would abolish labor unions, do away with weekends, and bring back child labor if they could. What is there to talk about? Talk to the mainstream, use that bully pulpit to produce some tangible results. How about getting some mainstream or even liberal jurists seated on the Federal Bench?

Time to start winning the future, Barack. Wade into it, get in the fray. Now would be a good time to throw off the center right mantle. We need a champion and resurgence of the democratic left in the next two years to avoid having the Senate switch to Republican control. The numbers favor the Republicans.

I guess on the up side, I have a chance to go listen to Dennis Kucinich speak in Olympia on Monday. I am excited about that.

Big thank you to my friend, Glen Anderson and the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation for arranging this event. See you there?