My Invitation

Because we've moved and our mail was forwarded this didn't arrive in time for me to actually use it, but I guess that--in the end--it doesn't matter anyway.

As I've mentioned on more than one occasion, I donated a little of my hard earned money to Barack Obama's Presidential campaign (though not enough that you'll find me on any list anywhere. I knew what my anonymous limit was!). As a reward for the money, I've been spammed by the Obama campaign ever since. I thought when the election was over that the requests for money would stop, but no. Apparently he's saving up for 2012.

I've been emailed by the Obama campaign so much, in fact--and most of it presumably from President Obama himself--that I'm starting to feel like he's someone I know personally, a real friend. Heck, I hear from him more than I hear from my parents.

In any event, my latest piece of correspondence with B.O. (He hates it when I call him that, but I tell him to get over it! But he doesn't listen to me--I've been telling him for weeks to just choose a dog, for Pete's sake. He smiles and says there's still a lot of contemplating he has to do.) is a personal invitation to attend the Presidential Inauguration last Tuesady. The invitation included a letter from Barry asking me to join him in "any of the public events scheduled" over the weekend.

As I mentioned, due to mail forwarding I didn't get this in time to actually attend, but I am so grateful that President Obama gave me a special invitation to attend a public event. After all, without the invitation I probably would have...would have...well, I almost certainly would have been let in anyway, since I don't need an invitation to be out in public. Still, I'm glad to know the President was thinking of me.

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Speaking of Obama, I want to quickly add this: I voted for him for President because I believed that he was sincere when he stated that he wanted to govern from the center, that he wanted to put petty party politics behind us and actually go about doing what is right for the government. He could signal he meant this very clearly early in his administration by doing the following: he should threaten to veto the economic stimulus package he's pushing if it isn't changed to appease the Republicans. The House passed it on a straight partyline vote. That tells me there's something wrong with the package. After all, the Republicans in office want to keep their jobs, too. They're not going to vote down an economic recovery bill that would fix the economy--they'd all be run out of office the next time they're up for election. They would only vote against it if there are problems.

I know Obama doesn't NEED the Republicans to pass the bill, and this is why I say he needs to lead. He doesn't NEED the Republicans, but he ought to have them, and that is why he should threaten to veto the bill unless the Republicans in the Senate tell him they are satisfied with it.