Press the “Reset” button here in the USA

Less than two months after Obama’s inauguration, Hillary Clinton attempted to restore the United States Foreign Policy reputation with Russia by pressing the “reset” button much to the amusement of her Russian counterparts.  Besides using the incorrect word for the exact translation, (good start) Hillary and this administrations has failed tremendously in foreign and domestic policy.  As a citizen concerned about the future of the USA, I ask if we have to wait two years to reset the USA button before too much irreparable harm is done.

There are more foreign policy mishaps than bright spots with Obama.  The recent turmoil in the Mid-East reveals Obama’s leadership is non- existent and his policy is confused and inconsistent.  Yet, he has the time to honor the Rhythm and Blues music at a February 25 White House party.  Can anyone explain USA policy objectives, goals, expected results in Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya?  Or is this a repeat of post WWII Communist land grab only instead it is Islamic in nature.  Iran, China and Russia are flexing their muscle with land grabs in the Islamic world in the face of a week president.  China and Russia are filling the power void using Iran as the doormat to the region.

Where was Obama when the Iranians revolted last year?  I guess Obama’s policy is to support a dictator like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad because they both share qualities, hatred of the US and a Muslim heritage.  Yet, Mubarak, a dictator friendly to the US, thereby against the Koran’s ideals of killing all infidels, should be removed.  It seems Obama only supports the Muslim leaders who hate the USA, and promotes the removal of those leaders allied with the USA.

China responds to the Libya crisis by sending warships to Libya in an unprecedented move projecting their power further from home than ever before into an area where the US once dominated with Naval power.  Tripoli has historical implications. When President Thomas Jefferson refused the ransom demands from Barbary Pirates, he instead sent the newly formed Marines,”To the shores of Tripoli,” to protect our vital interests. Bush’s show of force in Iraq even convinced Gadhafi to end its nuclear program in 2005. With Obama, it seems Russia and China see a weak vacillating president so they jump at land grab opportunities.  When the region stabilizes is anyone’s guess, but it would seem prudent to exert diplomacy to ensure some become allies of the USA instead of Islamic bases for terror.  Now it seems Obama is Cateresque, relegated to second power status.

We witnessed this with Carter.  Let’s keep track and see where these countries are in five years, friendly and stable to the USA or Islamic countries with indigenous radical forces intent on destroying the USA.

Obama treats our allies with disdain, our enemies with affection.  Obama holds a state dinner for China, but sends a bust of Churchill back to Great Britain.  Has he traveled to Great Britain, our greatest ally?  Not yet, but in May he will, post wedding. Rumors have the Obama’s did not even make the invite list to Prince William and Kate’s wedding.  Would that have happened under previous administrations, republican or democrat?  So our President bows to Saudi Princes but ignores our allies.

Obama snubbed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during his visit.  With the US’s only strong ally in the Mid-East, should the President have walked out of a meeting and leave the Israeli Prime Minster to stew and wait for over an hour.  Would a solid relationship with Israel be helpful today?  I mean, who side is Obama on, the Muslim world or the Judeo-Christian world?

Obama travels to Indonesia on a $200 million dollar a day ten day trip to sign trade deals that were all but completed, but altered some provisions to help his pro union stance.  Yet, he won’t sign the trade pacts with Columbia and Panama, two allies close to home that would help our businesses and stabilize Central and South America.  With little impact on trade and success, his Indonesian trip was more about his return to his childhood home.  Having traveled to the US on a Fulbright Scholarship as a foreign born student, he should have returned after his student visa expired, but hey, he is the President now, we will overlook that.

In Venezuela, Chavez’s bottom line is depleted.  So, he is receiving loans from China in exchange for oil shipments.  To fill Chavez’s coffers, oil prices go up and Chavez situation improves.  Where is China getting this money, from US consumers buying the goods that should be made in the USA?  So while our country watches as oil goes up, we watch as China uses our trade dollars to increase their oil supplies and exert influence in our backyard.

Obama will travel to Brazil, Chile and El Salvador, good democracies, but a safe and pretty picture that satisfies his perfunctory foreign policy trips.  A leader would visit with Panama, and Columbia, sign the trade deals languishing on his desk and strengthen those ties to put pressure on Chavez and Venezuela.  Alliance promoting policy would promote and protect US economic, diplomatic and military influence in our hemisphere before China does.  Under the auspices of the Monroe Doctrine, the USA cannot afford not to.

In the meantime, China is exploiting the Caribbean.  They have held naval exercises and have received oil permits from Cuba.  By-passing any future trade deal with Panama and to increase trade deals with Central and South America, China is building a rail route through Columbia, connecting the Pacific with the Caribbean.  If the USA doesn’t improve trade in the southern hemisphere, China will.  Those customers, once thought as potential consumers of USA goods, will buy from China.  Imagine the lack of prosperity for the US companies when China takes over the southern hemisphere.

Despite emails pointing to Sores funding the Brazil off-shore oil fields, the Export Import is using their funds to finance the project to promote trade.  Yet, China will receive the bulk of the oil, why not the USA? Chinese influence is growing in Central and South America while the USA’s is diminishing.  Why?  Is that Presidential leadership?

Domestically, remember the shovel ready jobs Obama promised.  Obama had the audacity to be the first president to devise the “President-Elect Seal” because the severity of the depressed economy warranted one and he needed to be up and running when he took office.  Well, where are the shovel ready jobs?  Where is the TARP money set aside for these jobs?  If jobs were issue number one, why did it take Obama two years to meet with the US Chamber of Commerce? With the economy’s future suspect, and unemployment still high, Obama’s lack of leadership and insouciance is evident of is disdain for USA.

ObamaCare is dead, or should be.  If his supporters believe his health care law is his greatest achievement, why have over 1,000 companies received waivers freeing them from their obligation to be enrolled in ObamaCare?  We just witnessed his HHS Secretary Sebelius admitting the administration was double counting $500 billion.  Not to mention the fact that Judge Vinson issued a cease and desist ruling disallowing the Obama administration to pursue further expenditures and legislation to implement ObamaCare.  By doing so, Obama is breaking the law.  Is ObamaCare good for the USA?  Based on waivers, costs, and polls, I think not.

Obama’s enthusiasm for alternative energy matches his enmity for the oil industry.  As consumers watch oil prices soar, one cannot help but feel he desires this so his green cars and energy policy will take root.  As we all know, oil is a vital ingredient to many products, fertilizers and feedstock to provide more food, to the drug and medical industries and for leisure products and household goods. Unfortunately, Obama should realize if he were smart, drilling for more oil would solve many of his ills.  It would increase employment, productivity, lower costs on many items, release the US from dependency on foreign supplies, decrease petrodollars going to Chavez, Putin and thugs in the Mid-East.  We know we don’t have proof of his intelligence from lack of transcripts, so by not doing these things, maybe he is “Khrushchev smart” and is destroying us from within.

Then there are regulations imposed on businesses that stifle any chance of business growth and hiring. Small Business administration estimate regulations cost the businesses $1.75 trillion.  For instance, U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller directed the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to change their designation of milk as an environmental hazard. Under the EPA’s current rule, milk is considered the same as oil, and if dairy producers do not comply with the EPA’s rule then they will be subject to punitive damages. Last year, the EPA announced a one-year extension specifically to address requirement for milk and milk product containers within EPA’s Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure program, which directs producers to have an oil spill prevention plan by November 10, 2011.  How do regulations like this help the economy or promote job growth?  Meanwhile children are hungry, food prices are soaring, and we cannot drill for more oil, all while Obama and his regulations are crucifying the dairy industry.  Enough said.

One thought, back in 2001, post 9/11, with the economy in shambles and an attack on our homeland, were you confident of Bush’s foreign policy and economic team to pull us out of both crises.  He succeeded.  I ask the same question today, do you feel confident with Obama foreign and economic team to manage the Mid-East and economic crises?  I don’t think so.

If the democrats are not nervous about re-election, why would they write articles disparaging potential republican candidates; Rubio, Pawlenty, Bachman, Palin, Romney, Gingrich, Christie, all of whom have more experience than Obama did.  So, what are the Democrats thinking?

Stand by and anticipate the resignation of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.  As she observes the sinking of the Obama administration, she will realize she cannot keep any presidential hopes alive if she remains tethered to Obama’s sinking ship.  Just like many republicans, a few on the democrat side want to push the reset button too.

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