Obama's driving record: Where are the cops?

I am a 60-year-old American citizen with children and grandchildren, and I love the good old USA, but I'm afraid those initials could soon stand for United Socialists of America. I'm not a political activist, but I have voted in every election since 1968 and I'm concerned about where our country is headed. I want to share my feelings in an easy way for people to understand. Thus, a simple little story:

M.A.D.D.

(Missourians Against Democratic Decision-makers)

Once upon a time in 2007, a presidential hopeful by the name of Hillary Clinton began driving her political machine down the road to the presidency with her campaign manager by her side telling her with her age and experience and an already established Washington base, this was going to be an easy drive to the finish line. There were many other drivers in the race, but only she had the engine and horsepower to win the presidency.

Ah, but she had quickly forgotten the young senator from Illinois with his cute little shiny red four-cylinder machine who had made an appearance at the last Democratic convention. What chance would a young newcomer like himself have? So Hillary decided to conserve her time and money and wait for the big superprimaries.

With her machine on cruise control, the little red Obama car, turning to the Internet for financial support, was able to accessorize his political machine with extras, and he sped through the early primary races, quickly winning one after another. By the time Hillary and her political machine woke up, Obama was ahead in the delegate count and primary race fans around the country were beginning to take notice. He had a great personality and grill, and his oratory was Porsche-like.

The country was falling for this bright, young senator, and the news media were in a frenzy to win his admiration. They anointed him the next JFK, and if he could win, it would be of historical importance, being the first black American president.

Well, this fairy tale came true, and in January Barack Obama was sworn in as president. The world, the country and the news networks all celebrated.

But wait. What have we done? Is this young and inexperienced man ready to take the keys to our nation and drive it forward? Did we all get too caught up in the patriotic speeches, the grand stages and the celebrity of it all? It seems we were so worried about the Wall Street failure, the bank failures, the Bush years, the wars and the recession, which the media were pounding 24 hours a day, that we voted for "Change we can believe in." But did we make the right decision? Surely this wonderful young senator was going to drive our sacred democracy right down the middle freeway lane with the Democrats and Republicans driving alongside and helping. Six months later, what has happened to this beautiful, sleek machine we call the United States of America?

I'm afraid that while we were celebrating with all that we saw and heard in the media, this young senator, now president, was handed a set of keys to the most powerful machine in the world. And we did it. We put him in the driver's seat with little thought as to what we had heard during the presidential race.

Out of 100 senators, his voting record was the most liberal. No. 1. Oh, well, no big deal. He sat in a church for 20 years and listened to a pastor who proclaimed, "G--damn America" for the way our democracy is run. Oh, well, he quit that church anyway. After his nomination, his wife said, "For the first time in my life I'm proud to be an American." Oh, well, don't read too much into that. Man, this guy Obama can give a speech, and just look at that smile.

Was it a warning sign when this charismatic young man told Joe the plumber that he wanted to redistribute the wealth in this country? Oops, we forgot that one on Nov. 4. Oh, well. We're all good, proud hard-working Americans. But didn't that young candidate tell donors in a back room in San Francisco, because of the recession "some Americans turn to their guns and religion." Wait a minute. What did he mean by that? Oh, well. He did say that no one making $250,000 or less would ever have their taxes raised, if elected. Hey, wait a second. What about this cap-and-trade bill that just passed the House? It's going to mean a heavy tax burden on families and businesses for years to come.

Wait a minute! This is not a fairy tale. This is reality. Where is this man taking us?

We the people have given this rookie driver the keys to our country. He and his pit crew, the Democratic Congress, are about to drive it over a cliff with our children and grandchildren in the back seat with no seat belts. In just six months, Mr. Obama and the Congress have spent more money than all the other presidents combined. We are trillions in debt, and we are printing more money every day while selling U.S. bonds to China and other countries at high rates.

Government is growing like a massive tumor, and fellow Americans, it's malignant. Mr. Obama now runs General Motors, banks, insurance companies and tobacco companies (through the FDA) and is reaching for more. Cap and trade, mentioned earlier, is not going to stop so-called global warming (the planet's temperature has not gone up in over eight years) but is going to raise your cost of energy, and jobs will go overseas in big numbers.

Obama wants national health care passed now, and if it is passed with a government-controlled option, we can kiss this car he's driving goodbye. Some politicians are now talking about another stimulus bill since the $787 billion one is not working.

Enough is enough!

I say we give both parties in Congress a warning and pull this president over to the side of the road for a blood test to see if he's exceeded his presidential limits and become too drunk with power. If the answer is yes, I, and I hope millions of other Americans, will go to the ballot boxes in 2010 and 2012 and let these politicians know their rides will be taken away and even the president of the United States can be grounded. I've already called my legislators. You should do the same. God bless this country.

William Piercey Sr. is a Cape Girardeau resident.