H O W A R D S B E N D

In February 2008, Michelle Obama, at a rally ironically in Wisconsin, proudly boasted that “for the first time in her adult life, she was proud to be an American”  (see link below).   No doubt that sentiment was a response to the country’s overwhelming support for a candidate who promised to bring about the long-awaited fundamental change to our political system.  The year 2008 seems like ancient history.

Well today I’d like to ask Michelle Obama a follow-up question:  “In the year 2011, are you still proud to be an American?”

Are you proud that the President capitulated to the Republicans’ demand to extend tax cuts for the richest Americans wreaking further havoc on the out-of-control federal deficit?

Are you proud that the President’s new budget inflates the $700 billion military budget by $22 billion while it simultaneously slashes $1 billion for financial assistance to seniors for their heating bills, and steals another $1 billion from food subsidies for impoverished children?

Are you proud that the President’s budget protects and preserves $20 billion in farm subsidies and $6 billion in ethanol subsidies, even though most experts believe that these very inefficient forms of energy production only lead to higher food prices?

Will you continue to be proud of America if the Republicans are successful in muscling through many of the $61 billion ANTI-regulatory, ANTI-environment, ANTI-nutrition, ANTI-education, ANTI-economic development and PRO-business budget cuts they are currently proposing?

Can you continue to be proud of America if Congress is successful in repealing the new healthcare law?  Will you be proud if the EPA, FDA, Planned Parenthood and PBS/NPR crumble in the new year?  Can you state that you are proud of America if the “hope” and change we can believe in” vanish with the passing of the new federal budget.

I believe that we are now at a tipping point in America wherein the Republicans want to turn back the clocks 50 years.   We need to fight for the changes that we heard about in the 2008 campaign which should bring about a better tomorrow.  Will you be able to state in 2012 that “you are still proud to be an American”?