I posted a comment to BWD's diary of PresO and Michelle in India, my first since the elections here at the Big Orange, and decided i wanted to expand it into a diary, the first in quite a while here.
Aw yeah - that's my Pres, in the land i was born (and lived in only till i was 2 before moving to sunny CA for the 40+ years since).
The pix in this diary lifted my heart, which has gone through a roller coaster of emotions since election night -- profound disappointment, sadness, anger at the overreaching Repubs, at corp media, at the wussy Dems, and yes, some at PresO too for the times he has compromised too much and not stood up enough.
But now, after nearly a week of things settling in, and particularly after seeing his pretty unequivocal statement that he will stand against the tax cuts for the super-rich being extended, i'm feeling a little bit more hope that we may still get more of the change we need, in the coming months, and years.
His words in his first weekly address since the election are a great and good first sign -- i was definitely a little worried about the wobbly statements early in the week, but damn folks, that was a big emotional jar for everyone,
seeing so much blood on the ground, of some of our best and most courageous (Feingold, Grayson) fall as collateral damage, even though we must celebrate that many of the bravest did survive (Boxer, Grijalva, B. Frank come to mind), and there were victories all over.
(Side note: Damn, it felt good to be a Californian, in this round, with the results at the state level there, even being at a distance here in Brazil as i am for now -- which had a good election result last wknd by the way, where the more progressive candidate won for Pres, and a much more progressive legislature was elected a month ago -- and though too often ignored in the US news, this is for a country in the same hemisphere, which is as large as the continental US, with nearly 2/3 of the population, too).
But anyway now -- it looks to me that PresO, like others of us, has found some footing, and is ready to enjoin The Fight, vs. backing away from it -- the eternal one of Those Who Have Less, and those of us who care about them, and for the others who have little or no voice, like the animals, and the Earth -- against Those Who Already Have More, and who just care less about everyone and everything else.
It is the ONLY way he can significantly leave his mark on history. NOT by backing down, or passing dribs and drabs of watered down legislation that the American public just will never pay enough attention to. Like he said in his historic speech on the eve of the House HCR vote, channeling Honest Abe's words: we are not obligated to win, we are only obligated to fight hard as HELL for what we know is right (paraphrase).
I may be waiting a while for an FDR like statement, about Wall Street:
"Let them hate me -- i welcome their hatred" (paraphrase)
And that may not really be in PresO's character -- but hot damn, for now, his words yesterday are good, and girding.
So, back to the trip -- I'm glad PresO is getting out finally on this trip (yes even with his skipping of visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar, which, being a Sikh-American, stings me slightly), doing good. So great to see pics of Michelle in the wonderful happy form she excels in, with kids.
Ahhh -- i'm uplifted. And ready to go into the next 2 years in full battle gear. Because right now, the way i feel is that if the Repubs think they're going to be able to oust my Pres in 2012 -- they've got:
****** ANOTHER F---ING THING COMING *******
I know i only have limited control and say, and it will be much more up to how much PresO stands up, and the other decisions the Dems make in Congress. As we know -- the independents respect strength, fundamentally, and that is what they did not see enough of in the run-up to this election. That is IT. I hope the Dems learn this lesson. You cannot win by being Repub-lite. We've seen it over and over and over. If they haven't learned, we'll lose. I hope to the good Goddess they have, and just a few signs do point to that.
But as far as it is in my control: i worked quite a bit for these Midterms -- but it's going to pale compared to what i will do for the Pres in the next one, to make up for the billions they will pour in from their gilded coffers.
So McConnell, Boehner, Rove, Palin, Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Coulter, Malkin, all of Faux News, Phil Griffin, etc. etc. f'ing etc. -- y'all ready?
************** THEN BRING IT MOTHERF---ING ON ***************