Dear Mr. President-Elect
Monday November 17, 2008
Dear Mr. President-Elect,
Among the millions of Americans who voted for you in the Nov. 4 general election, I was not one.
That doesn't mean, however, that I will not support your presidency. When you take office in January, I will bear steadfast allegiance to you and everything I believe you represent. To me, you represent renewed hope for our country, and I therefore ask the following of you:
- As you embark upon your transition, please make sure to consider cabinet members whose expertise is reflective of their post, and that there are no conflicts-of-interest. I hear you're considering Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, and while I believe she's worthy of a cabinet-level position, her husband's dealings with foreign governments, including the millions of dollars he's received in speaking fees and contributions from foreign officials and businesses with interests in American governmental policies is cause for concern. I know what you're thinking: "Hillary didn't take any of that money," and while that's technically true, she is married to the guy who did. I'm not necessarily saying her husband's actions should preclude her as Secretary of State, but I am hoping you'll give it your thorough attention -- as it appears you are.
- Please withdraw American troops from Iraq based on the realization of goals, and not the rigid timetable upon which you campaigned. In exchange, I promise not to lambaste you for going back on your word. Listen to your Defense Secretary and place emphasis on what's happening on the ground in Iraq, rather than bowing to political pressure from your Democratic allies and supporters. Only military leaders can map out how to safely withdraw from Iraq and only they can determine when the time is right to do so. Let the troops finish their missions, and when it's time to leave, please don't leave a small strikeforce behind. If the surge proved anything to us, it proved that fewer troops experience greater danger. Let's not put a bulls eye on any more American lives.
- Consider eliminating US subsidies for immigrants who are in America illegally, regardless of where they're from. As Ron Paul once said, "You subsidize illegal immigration, you get more of it." Many immigrants enter the US only to receive welfare and social services. This is a national epidemic and one that costs the nation billions every year. Not only would the elimination of these benefits remove the incentives responsible for the flood of illegals entering the country, the money saved could be extended to recently laid-off workers who are seeking reemployment in a difficult economy.
- When choosing Supreme Court Justices, base your decision on a proven record of sound Constitutional decisions, rather than a history of judicial activism. Treat the selection of federal district court judges with the same diligence. The millions of lower court rulings often have more of an impact on the lives of American citizens than the ones issued by the Supreme Court.
- Make sure the War on Terror remains a top priority, and learn from the (many) mistakes made by the Bush Administration. I agree with you about Osama bin Laden. He's a scourge who should be captured and brought to a swift and creative justice. In our zeal to find him, however, let's not forsake the hundreds of other terrorists and terror organizations bent on the destruction of not only the US, but everything the US stands for.
- Finally, I'm pleased to see you're taking a Lincoln-esque approach to your transition. Forgive us conservatives for our suspicions. We have been rooked by many conservative charlatans and have great trepidation based on the conduct of your Congressional colleagues. The result is a doleful outlook on your administration. Allay our fears. Act independently of the Democratically-controlled Congress. Swim against the stream. Solicit opinion and advice from your political and ideological opponents, if only to consider alternative viewpoints. Allow for vigorous debate, but in the end do what you believe is right. Sometimes just offering to listen is enough to gain the trust and admiration of your opponents.
Mr. President-Elect, please heal this great nation through careful fiscal responsibility. End the suffering of American citizens by bringing the best and the brightest economic minds to the table to solve our financial crisis. Finally, protect our nation's institutions and our way of life from the tyranny of enemies without and within. Keep us safe and improve our lives, and our hearts will continue to be with you. Your election gave you our allegiance; now is your chance to earn it.
Photo © Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Comments
Forget about Mrs. Clinton as Secretary of State. She is your main rival, but she’s no William Seward. She failed as an executive of her husband’s health care initiative and her own presidential campaign. If you, Joe Biden, and Nancy Pelosi were to die, as Secretary of State Mrs. Clinton would achieve her ambition to become president. Sure it’s unlikely, but why take a chance?
There is a lot of misinformation about undocumented workers. The only services they are eligible to receive are public education for children and emergency medical treatment under EMTALA. Contrary to popular belief, they do not receive welfare, food stamps, unemployment, social security or other benefits. In fact, many of them pay social security and income taxes to social security numbers that are assigned to them, and get nothing in return. They hope that this record of their faithful payments will help them obtain citizenship in the future, but there is no promise from our government.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24054024/
http://www.laboreducator.org/undocumented.htm
http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=64ba0a6571db8d23a944520f855482f6
Doris, I think the world of you, but you should take a look at the Center for Immigration Studies’ web site some time. There are really alarming facts there. Here is a study that was conducted over several years and published in 2004. Not much has changed legislatively since then:
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
I think the overall impact on our economy is debatable, but that debate has to be based on facts. The sentence above that I disagree with is “Many immigrants enter the US only to receive welfare and social services.” These quotes are from the site you cited:
“their impact on Social Security and Medicare is unambiguously positive”
“The vast majority of illegals hold jobs.”
“In terms of welfare use, receipt of cash assistance programs tends to be very low, while Medicaid use, though significant, is still less than for other households.”
I don’t know how they can say that undocumented workers receive any welfare or food assistance because they are ineligible. Although the report attempts to appear fair and accurate, I believe the organization is biased against undocumented workers, and this shows in the language throughout the report. Furthermore, the report does not address the benefit to our economy from the willingness of undocumented workers to accept less than minimum wage.
Another point that many people overlook is the fact that the American government gave away land to immigrants in previous centuries. People claim that their 19th or early-20th century immigrant ancestors did not accept “handouts” from the government, but don’t consider that their ancestors received the biggest handout of all, The Homestead Act: http://usparks.about.com/b/2005/03/19/the-homestead-act.htm
why is it that illegal immigrants are not attracted to more socialistic countries like say France and England?
There is nothing Conservative about this “blog” who are you trying to fool? Don’t tell me who pays you!! You are as Conservative as Obama…
He sounds pretty conservative to me! Maybe the C word you are looking for is communistic. That is what a majority of the conservatives really are-Nazis. Republicans used to stand for smaller government, more states rights. Not any more! Patriot act, my ass! It should rightfully be called Fascist act!
ItsallBS,
I find your comment crass, uncalled-for and offensive, especially considering I am of Jewish heritage and had family members who died in the concentration camps. I appreciate healthy debate, and I certainly welcome personal criticism, but to call me a Nazi is despicable. You should be ashamed of yourself. Oh, and by the way — Republicans aren’t necessarily conservatives as Bush Jr. has proven to the world.