Obama and A-Rod

I don't know if you watched Obama's press conference last night but I did. And while it was mostly about the economy with a little foreign policy thrown in, a reporter asked him how he felt about the Alex Rodriguez steroid news.

Seriously?

You are a reporter sitting in on the very first press conference with the new president of the United States. He's talking about an economic stimulus package that will affect every citizen. The president calls on you to ask a question. It's your time to shine. And you blow it by asking him how he feels about a professional baseball player's steroid use?

“I think it’s depressing news on top of what has been a flurry of depressing items when it comes to Major League Baseball,” Obama said. “If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball, I think it tarnishes an entire era to some degree. It’s unfortunate because I think there are a lot of ball players who played it straight.”

How do you THINK the president is going to respond? Do you think he's really going to condone the practice of using steroids? I thought it was a ridiculous question to be asking at a ridiculous time. The reporter got the feel-good quote he was looking for but I don't think it was appropriate to ask the question in the first place.

Common Sense

Thank God the new leader of the free world has some common sense! A little quip from the New York Times story...

WASHINGTON — President Obama announced on Wednesday a salary cap of $500,000 for top executives at companies that receive the largest amounts of money under the $700 billion federal bailout, calling the step an expression not only of fairness but of “basic common sense.”

The entire article is a good read and you can find it here.

It's straight forward, no nonsense talk like this that makes me feel good about my citizenship....FINALLY! A leader who not only gets down to business, doesn't handle top execs with kid gloves, and doesn't make up words when he speaks. Refreshing.

Change starts with us...

I don't know about you but I'm tired of reading about the inaguration of President Obama today. I hope this doesn't make me un-patriotic. Don't get me wrong -- I think it's great, amazing, wonderful and I am optimistic that he will do America right. But I'm tired of reading about American's who are putting all of their hopes and dreams for the future of our country in one big Obama basket.

It takes more than one man to fix an entire country.

I have been working on the green issue for the magazine I write and edit for, Bangor Metro. There are some amazing stories in there about people who didn't like how something was done so they did it their way and had tremendous results. I'm not going to give anything away, but Maine is filled with innovators who aren't waiting around for someone else to come up with ways to solve the environmental crisis.

If people really want change they need to start with themselves. I hate it when people complain about gas emissions creating pollution yet they drive their Suburbans and Tahoes a half a mile to school, the store, or to work. Or people who complain about how much trash we produce yet they don't recycle. Just last week I saw a woman throw a McDonald's bag out of her car window onto the street. I couldn't believe it.

So hooray for Obama. Hooray for change. But lets not wait around for the president to make drastic changes for us. Start changing yourself and your community and I bet you'll have a stronger feeling of self-worth and patriotism when you get results.

Obama's Speech

Since I am at work today and didn't have time to go home and watch the inaguration on TV, I read Obama's speech on The New York Times website. I found this passage to be one of my favorites:

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

I asked my parents when the last time they remembered an inaguration as big and hyped as this one. Their answer: JFK. Another young man who promised change and brought patriotism back to the American citizens. I can't wait to see what Obama brings to the table.

Read the speech for yourself here.

What Jenno Saw...

This post is written by my sister, Jenno. She had the fortunate (or unfortunate -- your call) opportunity to watch The Today Show this morning...

We were snowed in this morning so I had the chance to drink my coffee in front of The Today Show while my diligent husband plowed the driveway. I haven't seen The Today Show in quite a while, but my memory of it is of a fairly 'newsworthy' show with some fluffy 'feel good' pieces thrown in there... apparently my memory did not serve me today.

This morning Meredeth Vieira did a piece on Obama vs. 50cent: Who will be this generations icon? I was confused... was Obama a rapper and I'd been living under a rock? Was 50cent running for government and this was his 'coming out'? What was the point of this comparison? The more I listened the more I realized how ridiculous this piece was. We are comparing these two high powered men simply because they are both African American. Oh, and because 50cent is misunderstood- can't leave that point out. It lead me to wonder all sorts of things- How did the show decide on Mr. Cent? Does Obama know he's being compared to a gansta? Will these to unite to collaborate on 50's next album? Really the piece lead me to one solid conclusion... I'm not missing anything in the morning news.