What America Needs....Bipartisanship

With a new 787 billion dollar stimulus package being approved in the Senate, it was revealed that only 3 Republican Senators approved the measure. With all due respect, what the heck were all the other Republicans thinking? I understand the difference in the political lines amongst the two parties, but it is clear that we need action now before our economy falls too far from the prospect of recovery. The three Republicans in favor of the bill were Susan Collins and Olympia Snow, both of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Our economy cannot wait while the Democrats and Republicans battle over small party ideals. Republicans, whether willing or not, need to give President Obama the opportunity to succeed or fail. If squabbling amongst the two parties continue to transpire, America as a whole loses. Bipartisanship is the only way to climb out of the economic trench we now find ourselves in. The stimulus package is not perfect by any measure, but it has the ability to be effective. We need to reinvest in the American system and reclaim American industry. With bipartisanship in our government, we have the potential to truly unite and overcome yet another troubling obstacle. As the champion of the New Deal, Franklin D. Roosevelt once said "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself".

The Economy

I do not have to tell you that the economy is in a disastrous state right now. President Obama finds himself inheriting the country at a time where inaction could prove to be more costly than the Iraq War. Whether Obama is inheriting George Bush's problem or not, the fact remains clear that something has to be done sooner rather than later. As the Democrats and Republicans battled over the stimulus, the only side to suffer was the American people. Democrats argue "we need more" and Republicans argue "that is way too much". Obama ran his campaign on promising the American people more jobs and tax cuts to over 90% of Americans. Now is the time to put all his plans into action. The longer we wait, the more we have at stake to lose. One thing Obama needs to at least moderately improve on, is the production of American exports. Over the last several decades, the United States has increasingly become dependent on imports and this has impacted American business. I am well aware we can not compete with the labor costs in China, but we at least need to infringe upon this devastating transgression. The stimulus should provide some comfort to the weak economy, but even chief economists argue that it would at the very least take one year to have an impact. Where's FDR when you need him?