Obama: Yes We Can! McSame: Unfit For Command

Friday, September 26, 2008

(Arlington County Democratic Committee)

Report from the Chairman

Peter Rousselot

In times of national crisis, a natural leader will inspire all of us to join together to meet the challenge. Without inspiration, we stray off course. Barack Obama has risen within reach of the American Presidency because he is uniquely gifted to inspire our nation in times of crisis at home and abroad. Jealous adversaries have belittled Obama's gifts for oratory as "just words". In their days, the same was said of Lincoln, FDR, and JFK by their less-gifted opponents.

In her wonderful recent biography of FDR, Jean Smith captured his inspirational leadership at the moment of his first inaugural address:

"The vast crowd stilled, sensing the destiny of the moment. Roosevelt's voice was firm and reassuring, instilling confidence by tone and example. 'This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes efforts to convert retreat into advance.' *** The effect of the speech was electrifying, the praise all but unanimous." [FDR, by Jean Smith, Random House Paperback ed., pp.302-303 (2008).]

After eight years of ruinous economic policies at home and disastrous foreign policies abroad, the Republican Party, sensing the earthquake that is about to consume it, and contrary to the wishes of much of its base, has nominated for President a Vietnam war hero who is unfit to lead us. John McCain endured horrible torture in Vietnam, and deserves America's admiration and praise for that heroism. But, the John McCain who comes before us forty years later seeking our Presidency is a brittle and unsure hot-head who is so out of touch with the ordinary concerns of Americans that he cannot be entrusted with that office.

A man who doesn't know how many houses he owns, who cannot use a personal computer despite being in positions of leadership in the Senate (including Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee) throughout the entire time the personal computer was developed, and who is prepared to roll the dice of our nation's leadership by choosing Sarah Palin as his VP nominee (passing over many others in his party, including leaders like Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas), is a man who lacks the temperament and judgment to be President of the United States.

Our current economic crisis starkly illustrates why we need President Obama. If you believe our economy needs to change, there's only one choice in this election. Barack Obama will bring the change we need by reversing the policies of the last 8 years and rebuilding an economy that works for the middle class. He'll break the grip of the special interests, and put the middle class first by giving a tax break of up to $1,000 to 95% of hard working Americans. Under Barack Obama's plan, middle class families will benefit from the lowest income tax rates in over 50 years. And overall taxes will be below what they were under Ronald Reagan. Barack Obama will create jobs by ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and by cutting taxes for small businesses and companies that create jobs in America.

What about John McCain? Despite the current crisis in the American economy, John McCain's initial, instinctive reaction to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers--an investment bank that withstood the American Civil War, the Great Depression, and two world wars, was to claim that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong." Let me tell you: the fundamentals of our economy are not strong. Even here in Northern Virginia, where we've had great leadership at the state and local level, the fundamentals of our economy are not strong.

McCain believes "we've made great progress economically" under George Bush--with whom he has voted 90% of the time. McCain himself has admitted, truthfully, that he doesn't understand economics very well. If he did understand economics better, he would be aware that unemployment is at a 5 year high, home values are plummeting, and household incomes have dropped $2000. John McCain doesn't get it. He wants to give nearly $2 trillion in tax breaks for corporations over the next 10 years, but doesn't offer any tax relief to 101 million families or to any small business. In fact, he'll raise taxes by $3.6 trillion on health insurance for average Americans. While Americans can barely afford a tank of gas, he'll give billions in tax breaks to Big Oil.

That's not change we can believe in; that's not change we can afford - that's not change at all. That's just more of the same failed Bush economics that got us into this recession to begin with. Bush, McCain and their allies have argued for years that padding the pockets of the wealthy would trickle down. Well now the economic mess they created is trickling up. So, the choice in this election is clear. If you are better off than you were eight years ago and want four more years of a President who puts the biggest corporations first, then you should vote for John McCain. If you believe that it's time for fundamental change in Washington and a President who puts the middle class first, then you'll vote for Barack Obama.

PETER ROUSSELOT