by RNH Nello

Created on: May 18, 2009

No, I am not pleased with the actions taken by President Obama during these early days of his administration. For the most part he is pretty much what one would expect, a student of the Progressive approach to government as exemplified ay past presidents such as President Franklin Roosevelt and President Wilson. Even so, while he has so far demonstrated that he is one of the most far reaching of those of the Progressive Movement, he is not totally consumed by it and is also a practical politician.

In this latter context he has demonstrated that when faced with the illogical nature of some of his desires, he can reverse direction. For example, the reinstating of the military tribunals for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay demonstrates that there is 'no other' realistic process. I suspect that the practical nature of potential political 'fallout' played a large role in President Obama's recent decision. So too I suspect a similar decision making process with his recent decision not to release the interrogation photographs.

It is beginning to appear that the pressures of political reality will, at least periodically, over weigh his ideological desires. While such is positive, it would be better if his decisions were the result of understanding the foundations of the Constitution and the Capitalistic Free Market System. His lack of understanding of the latter area is exemplified by the continuation and expansion of President Bush's economic bailout approach. Both of these Presidents have exhibited big and intrusive government solutions to many (if not all) of the ills of the country. Ills that are rightly within the umbrella of the private sector and not that of government. Now, this approach combined with the Progressive approach to government of President Obama, threatens the very foundations of our Constitutional Representative Democracy.

During the recent years acts by both the banking system and the American automobile industry have demonstrated poor management judgment at best. A case could be made that such management judgments evolved from a set of incentives developed from overly intrusive federal regulation of both industries. Even so, such misdirected regulation did not demand compliance by these industries and they could have fought them in the courts. But it appears that following them without resistance was the easier road to travel. As time past these regulations became the incentive for a management (in multiple industries)

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