Failure is not an option

This week, Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show that he hopes President Obama will fail. Fail? That's right, fail. Rush makes the case that if the president is successful, that dreaded liberal agenda will permeate the nation.

Hardly. Bottom line, if President Obama fails, this country will be in worse shape than what he inherited. Every American should hope that the Obama administration is successful in turning the economy around. Every American should hope that we can reduce the threat of terrorism while establishing a peaceful existence in the Middle East. Every American should want to make sure a solution is found to make health care accessible and affordable for everyone.

So the question should be asked, is Rush being unpatriotic? The Republicans, especially on Fox News, accused everyone that challenged or questioned President Bush as being unpatriotic, primarily in the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Free speech was almost declared un-American. The Dixie Chicks, as well as other celebrities, were rebuked for speaking against the war. Cindy Sheehan was called all sorts of names for protesting at the Crawford Ranch about the war in which her son made the supreme sacrifice for his country.

But in the first week of the new administration Rush can say he wants the president to fail and he doesn't receive any backlash from his friends at Fox News for his views? This hypocrisy is what turns people off about politics. It is not uncommon for the conservative talking heads to use double standards. Remember, it was these same folks that said that Michelle Obama was unpatriotic because she was more proud of America because her husband, an African-American, had a legitimate shot at being President of the United States. They have made millions of dollars and created a division in American politics playing this type of game. As stated before, they are who we thought they were.

Well, since no one else is willing to say it, I will. For Rush Limbaugh to say that he wants the current president to fail is un-American, unpatriotic and uncalled for. I did not want either President Bush to fail. I did not want President Reagan, Nixon or Ford to fail. Why should a Republican want a Democratic president to fail or vice verse? Any true American should want America's president to succeed. Being a true patriot doesn't mean wearing flag lapel pins, draping yourself in the American flag, professing your Christian faith, toting a gun, or claiming to be right because you proclaim to be the Political Right.

Patriotism starts with supporting the leadership of your country when you believe they are correct and criticizing them when you believe they are incorrect. Patriotism is stepping up to the plate and offering suggestions for public policy to be discussed in civilized discourse, like the Republican House leadership offered to the president this week. Rush and others should be willing to serve this country to make it work better for all of us, not sitting on their hind quarters hoping for failure. Failure is not an option, not when there is so much to be done.

Comments

  1. I believe this why Republicans were so convinced that Democrats wanted Bush to fail: because they were projecting.

    I never wanted Bush to fail. I wanted him to do what was right for the country or, if he couldn't do that, get the heck out of the way and let others do it.

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