President Barack Obama addressed Congress and the nation Wednesday, in a mostly partisan address, in an effort to tackle the problems facing our country. With Democrats already reeling from losing a senate seat in Massachusetts and continuing doubts about comprehensive health care reform, president Obama has a lot of work to do to live up to his rhetoric.
Even though reviving the economy constituted 2/3 of his speech, Obama’s words did not line up with his political track record. Still eager to advance his climate change agenda, Obama continues to fight for a comprehensive energy and climate bill, placing another heavy tax burden on American families.
President Obama also insisted that Congress work in a bipartisan manner until a comprehensive overhaul of health care is passed. In his speech, Obama promised that uninsured Americans would have the opportunity to choose health care plans within a competitive environment, however this does not line up with the current bills on the table.
In his address, Obama again promised transparency to make government more assessable to the American people. In an administration known for closed-door meetings and transparency blunders, Obama has to start abiding by his campaign pledge to close the credibility gap by conducting business in the open.
“We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions,” said President Obama. It is important that politicians throughout Washington remember that they were elected to serve their constituents and not personal interests.
The government works for the people and not the other way around, said Stuart Barton, president of the American Seniors Association. The politicians are to be held accountable to the people they serve.
Campaign promises are not enough. Fancy speeches are not enough. Blaming the last administration for America’s current situation is not enough. The American people demand more. The American Seniors Association believes that real change in Washington is predicated on the president’s willingness to listen to the people, especially after the earth-shaking Massachusetts election, which was a vote against Obamacare.
Stuart Barton
President, American Seniors Association
