New Year, Old Ways

Well here we are, almost exactly one year into the hope and change we elected in 2008. Let's take a peek at both what has changed, and what we're still hoping for. Now I'm not going to nit pick campaign promises, but there are some that don't take any OK, or Congressional backing to get done. Transparency in government and the welcoming of C-Span into committee meetings. No more secret meetings. Well this is one idea that I wholeheartedly agree with. These back room deals, I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine, midnight on a Friday type get togethers and announcements. Sen. Ben Nelson and Sen. Harry Reid did their backroom deal (read, bribe) early on a Saturday morning. They've come up with a plan that would actually split this health care bill in two. One health care plan for 49 states, and one for Nebraska. That's an expensive vote, I wish everyone outside of Nebraska could have been in on that early Saturday, late Friday deal making session. Well, we never said we'd be that transparent! This is the latest example, we weren't privy to the conversations Doctor Obama had almost a year ago with health insurance and pharmaceutical giants at the White House. I wonder what was promised for their deafening silence throughout this debate? So much for open government and a change in the ways legislature gets passed. Doctor Obama also said that he'd let every piece of legislation that's passed sit on his desk for five days so the public could examine it before he signs it. Looking back at the rush to push everything from stimulus, omnibus spending and health care reform through, five days seems like a long time! Oh, until you realize it's 2,000 pages of legislative double speak. A little plain English would probably be too transparent also. Now we see that there is no change (either in ways or literal monetary change). My hope is that, come November, we get change in the form of a new Speaker of the House!