November 07, 2009 08:26 PM UTC

Pace of Change

•  
• by: JO

Famous anniversary last week: Obama elected president one year ago in midst of mega-crisis in financial markets and the larger economy. Democrats gain even larger majorities in both houses.

The current economic crisis is widely described as the worst since the Great Depression, so it’s reasonable to compare what happened in FDR’s first year in office to BHO’s first 11 months.

FDR: Within 100 days of taking office, the bulk of the New Deal had been passed.

BHO: Within 1,000 days of taking office, majorities in both houses and high approval ratings, we’ve had a modest stimulus that soon restored mega-bonuses to a handful of investment banks and prevented GM and Chrsler from going belly-up (yet), while unemployment continues to increase. Health care reform, declared a leading problem, remains mired in parliamentary maneuvering.

To Preachers of Patience I say: change doesn’t work this way or at this rate. The need for change stretches the balloon of the status quo to a breaking point; change, when it comes, comes fast. Exhibit B: Civil Rights legislation, when it came, came fast and was all-inclusive. Not a question of allowing Rosa Parks to sit behind the first 8 rows, then behind the first 7 after a year, then the first 6. No, brothers and sisters, it was the Whole Bus in One Bill at One Time, plus the lunch counters, the hotels, and every other damn public accommodation.

Bipartisanship is demonstrably a non-starter. Republicans won’t play. Needs to be dropped in favor of damn the torpedoes, full-speed-ahead change. If Obama can’t deliver, we need to find someone else who can, or some other approach. Constitutional convention anyone?