TheLoop21.com

By: Marvin King (Add to your loop)
Mon, 11/16/2009 - 01:00

President Obama has accomplished a lot in the past nine months.

Directly related to the high expectations many Americans have for President Obama is the high level of disappointment many have in the slow pace of change in Washington. Relentlessly campaigning on the Change We Can Believe In them, Obama promised to change "business as usual" in Washington. Has he done so?

Whether you agree with the merits of Obama's accomplishments or not, it is hard to deny this list of accomplishments nine months into the job isn't respectable. First, Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which makes it easier for women to prove pay discrimination. Next, he expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program to cover an additional four million kids. As a proponent of science, he repealed Bush's decision that disallowed federal funds to go to embryonic stem cell research. Recognizing that diversity is a good thing in a multi-cultural America, he appointed Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

Then there is the management of the fiscal crisis dumped on his lap by George W. Bush. True, the unemployment rate continues to grow, but economists tell us that employment is always the last to recover during recessions; otherwise, most other indicators point to a rebound — just look at the stock market. It has gained nearly 4,000 points from its' low in March.

Oh, and did I mention the Nobel Peace Prize? Obama has only greatly improved America's standing around the world. I am 100 percent positive John McCain could not have done so and so quickly.

However, people complain that Obama has not actually changed how Washington works, and they are right. Obama has not changed Washington. Sure, he has tried, but in this regard, he has failed. This is because the American people did not elect 435 Obama clones to serve in the House and 100 more to serve in the Senate. Further, the pace of Obama's accomplishments will slow as long as there is an opposition party specializing in dragging its feet due to its steady refusal to compromise.

Everyone recognizes that health care reform is the big enchilada. Even in a watered-down state, passing health care reform would be a monumental accomplishment. As long as Republicans believe killing health care reform is good for them politically, then real change, transcendent change will not take place. Republicans already plan on campaigning in 2010 by saying Obama failed to deliver on his promises. Thus, it is incumbent upon Republicans to make him fail.

The GOP represents plodding resistance to change. Mano a mano Republicans cannot compete with Obama's radiant light, which is why the party resorts to surrogates like Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Fox "News" to go after him.

People must be patient with Obama; he is doing all he can, but he is not his own Army. If people really want the change Obama campaigned on, they need to work on electing an army of Obama clones to Congress.

Marvin King is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Mississippi and writes the blog King Politics.

Is Obama compromising too much in the health care bill?

Yes, we need public option

No, he's keeping the peace

Republicans will block it anyway

Let's wait until the health care summit

I don't know