I confess that I have been nervous about HR 1, the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With the stubborn opposition of the Republicans (some of it ideological but mostly an unwillingness to be accountable) I worried that, even after the bill passed both the House and the Senate, something would go wrong: They lost the bill between Capitol Hill and the White House! John Boehner's dog ate it! They flew to Denver and left it in DC! While the president was speaking, a streaker ran through and took it!
It was with great relief that I watched President Obama sign it today. Even though we know that things will not get better for a while, and that it may not even affect the economy of my state, thanks to all the things that were taken out, it will do something to stop the madness.
My dad and I were talking about today's speech. In it the president referred to using power grids from the 19th and 20th centuries to transfer 21st century power. While the grids don't go quite back to Edison, as he said in his speech, it highlights the difference between this president and previous presidents. Instead of being intimidated by technology, my dad commented, Obama embraces it and wants to use it to our advantage.
Six months ago we were buoyed by hope in Denver, and hope was there again today. If significant legislation can become law in the first month of a new presidency, think what can happen when there is time.
Most of all, there is hope that, perhaps, the stranglehold of a minority is finally loosed from this country, and we can find our way back to prosperity.
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