NOW OR NEVER FOR OBAMA

Up until now warnings from this writer have fallen largely upon deaf ears. But after this week even the most comatose of the species known as Boobis Americanus has been jolted out of their numbing complacency.

For what seemed like an eternity the world watched in horror as a small minority of right-wing extremists held the country hostage. They refused any and all increases in revenue which anyone with a pulse knows has to be part of any deficit reduction plan.

President Obama, who cannot stomach adversarial encounters, surrendered just as he did with the healthcare debate. His ongoing desire to bring about a bipartisan result can only be defined as "arrested development." What will it take to convince this guy that the other side is not interested in working with him?

In my opinion, it is now or never for Obama. As the country's debt is downgraded and the global markets implode, millions of Americans are suffering. The deficits, horrendous as they are, must give precedence to jobs. Obama must have the guts to propose (yes, I'm serious) another stimulus package where this time the money goes to repairing the decaying infrastructure of the country, and, in so doing, putting people back to work.

The deficits of this country and Europe will never be paid back. These nations are insolvent. They can kick the proverbial can down the road but eventually we will all come to the end of that road. In the meantime, it is far more urgent to stimulate the economy by enabling people to do honest work that can only benefit the nation. Instead of giving our money to the banksters, who said thank you very much and kept it for themselves, this time it must go to individuals in order to put food on the table.

If Obama continues to be a pragmatic centrist, who shies away from proposing the bold changes he promised as a candidate back in 2008, then come November, 2012, he is dead meat.

August 6, 2011