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The people of Massachusetts have spoken for the entire country and have effectively ended the Obama political tsunami.
The victory of a Republican for an open Senate seat will likely mark the end of the mismanaged, unappreciated and ill-conceived health care bill, as Democrats have lost their filibusterproof majority in the Senate.
What lies ahead for the fledgling administration for the balance of this year and the elections in November? And what can the president do to right the situation?
The Democrats are now on a steep downward slope as a result of the election of Republican Scott Brown in Massachu-setts, along with two devastating gubernatorial losses in 2009. Already, the leaders of the party are playing the blame game about the loss of Teddy Kennedy's seat.
Even a personal visit by the president couldn't turn the tide for Martha Cockley, who was expected to win easily.
The Democrats are now in a selfdestruct mode that will last for the foreseeable future.
More bad news is in the offing for Democrats. Republicans are likely to go for the jugular and obstruct every Obama initiative leading up to the congressional elections this year.
We should expect the Republican leadership in the Senate to filibuster any and all meaningful legislation. The Republican caucus will be united and unflappable.
The result will be no important achievements for the Democrats to hang their hats on and a significant loss of seats in both houses of Congress.
Many people in this country (I being one of them) believe that no legislation is better than lousy, costly, partisandriven legislation.
We all need to understand that Obama is not a messiah and cannot solve every problem in this country and in the world with flowery rhetoric.
So what should the president focus on?
Surprisingly, President Obama has ignored the cries of the electorate and many critics on both sides of the political aisle who have said that job creation and economic stimulus are the most important issues.
Ultra-liberal op-ed columnists have been ranting and raving about the plight of millions of workers who are still unemployed with worsening prospects every day.
The African American community, in particular, has been devastated by unemployment and, seemingly, the president has done very little to help them.
So is it any surprise that there's a growing backlash? Obama is a smart man who gives good speeches, but it's the economy, stupid! The recession is still a recession and will continue to be a recession until unemployment declines.
The stock market is a leading indicator and has posted gains. But these gains are based up on optimism that somebody in Washington will recognize the most important issue facing the economy: jobs.
We need to defer discussions about big- ticket expenditures, including health care. We've waited for decades for universal health care. It's a beautiful idea, but must be tabled until the financial stability of the federal government is on more solid ground.
I say delay everything and focus on jobs.
And keep in mind that Republicans are in a position to delay, defer and obstruct every initiative that they believe is too costly.
Sal Bommarito is a novelist and frequent visitor to Vail over the past 20 years.
The victory of a Republican for an open Senate seat will likely mark the end of the mismanaged, unappreciated and ill-conceived health care bill, as Democrats have lost their filibusterproof majority in the Senate.
What lies ahead for the fledgling administration for the balance of this year and the elections in November? And what can the president do to right the situation?
The Democrats are now on a steep downward slope as a result of the election of Republican Scott Brown in Massachu-setts, along with two devastating gubernatorial losses in 2009. Already, the leaders of the party are playing the blame game about the loss of Teddy Kennedy's seat.
Even a personal visit by the president couldn't turn the tide for Martha Cockley, who was expected to win easily.
The Democrats are now in a selfdestruct mode that will last for the foreseeable future.
More bad news is in the offing for Democrats. Republicans are likely to go for the jugular and obstruct every Obama initiative leading up to the congressional elections this year.
We should expect the Republican leadership in the Senate to filibuster any and all meaningful legislation. The Republican caucus will be united and unflappable.
The result will be no important achievements for the Democrats to hang their hats on and a significant loss of seats in both houses of Congress.
Many people in this country (I being one of them) believe that no legislation is better than lousy, costly, partisandriven legislation.
We all need to understand that Obama is not a messiah and cannot solve every problem in this country and in the world with flowery rhetoric.
So what should the president focus on?
Surprisingly, President Obama has ignored the cries of the electorate and many critics on both sides of the political aisle who have said that job creation and economic stimulus are the most important issues.
Ultra-liberal op-ed columnists have been ranting and raving about the plight of millions of workers who are still unemployed with worsening prospects every day.
The African American community, in particular, has been devastated by unemployment and, seemingly, the president has done very little to help them.
So is it any surprise that there's a growing backlash? Obama is a smart man who gives good speeches, but it's the economy, stupid! The recession is still a recession and will continue to be a recession until unemployment declines.
The stock market is a leading indicator and has posted gains. But these gains are based up on optimism that somebody in Washington will recognize the most important issue facing the economy: jobs.
We need to defer discussions about big- ticket expenditures, including health care. We've waited for decades for universal health care. It's a beautiful idea, but must be tabled until the financial stability of the federal government is on more solid ground.
I say delay everything and focus on jobs.
And keep in mind that Republicans are in a position to delay, defer and obstruct every initiative that they believe is too costly.
Sal Bommarito is a novelist and frequent visitor to Vail over the past 20 years.
