Financial Times Columnist Martin Wolf Asks if the Obama Presidency Has Already Failed?

I came across an interesting article in Financial Times, written by columnist Martin Wolf. He asked if Barack Obama’s presidency has already failed? I think that is a ludicrous question, considering that he is barely a month into his presidency. We are, indeed, living in a time of great danger and Obama must tread cautiously. Here is an excerpt of the article:

Today, the new US administration can disown responsibility for its inheritance; tomorrow, it will own it. Today, it can offer solutions; tomorrow it will have become the problem. Today, it is in control of events; tomorrow, events will take control of it. Doing too little is now far riskier than doing too much. If he fails to act decisively, the president risks being overwhelmed, like his predecessor. The costs to the US and the world of another failed presidency do not bear contemplating.

What is needed? The answer is: focus and ferocity. If Mr Obama does not fix this crisis, all he hopes from his presidency will be lost. If he does, he can reshape the agenda. Hoping for the best is foolish. He should expect the worst and act accordingly. Yet hoping for the best is what one sees in the stimulus programme and –so far as I can judge from Tuesday’s sketchy announcement by Tim Geithner, Treasury secretary – also in the new plans for fixing the banking system. I commented on the former last week. I would merely add that it is extraordinary that a popular new president, confronting a once-in-80-years’ economic crisis, has let Congress shape the outcome. Source: Financial Times

Nobody said that it is going to be easy. President Obama bears a heavy weight on his shoulders, but I cannot in good conscience say that his presidency is going to fail. We simply do not know. Though Mr. Wolf makes some compelling points, isn’t England is the same economic boat as the United States? I do agree that the press conference held by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner yesterday failed to allay any fears and his outline was very vague, at best. For a moment, I envisioned Hank Paulson standing at the podium and repeating the same words. Still, I cannot say that he is going to fail because if he taught us anything during the campaign, tenacity and determination work.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Filed under: England, Failure, Hank Paulson, Martin Wolf, Obama Presidency, TARP Funds, Timothy Geithner, Treasury Department

Grace Jones, Still a Hot Mess After all These Years

Photo: Dyson/Getty Images

Grace Jones is a hot mess. It is high time for her to tone down this ridiculous image. She is 60 years and looks like a walking disaster. She is pictured at the Roadhouse in England.

Filed under: England, Grace Jones, Hot Mess, Roadhouse

"Hockey Mom" Sarah Palin Effigy Blown Up by Battle, England Townsfolk

Sarah Palin, “too hot to handle.”

Damn, some people take politics way too serious. Apparently, some folks in Battle, England have delivered their explosive verdict on Sarah Palin, stuffing a giant effigy of the U.S. Republican vice presidential nominee with fireworks and blowing her up to raucous cheers.

According to CNN, the unusual display was the climax of an annual bonfire celebration Saturday in the southern town of Battle, where political figures are a favorite target of a local tradition that sees a different icon destroyed each year. This year’s creation was a rather unflattering depiction of the self-declared “hockey mom,” a machine gun brandished in her muscular arms, bright red lipstick surrounding a grimacing smile and a moose at her side.

The caricature of the Alaskan governor was flanked by a smaller effigy of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, wearing a military-style helmet.

The event, believed to date back to 1646, has seen British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his predecessor Tony Blair go up in smoke in recent years.

Filed under: Barack Obama, England, Sarah Palin, Town of Battle