If there is anyone still scratching their head trying to
understand why so many Americans are fed up with their government and are even
marching on Washington, they should consider for a minute where the average
American sees their government putting its time and resources. There are serious concerns about government
overstepping and out-of-control spending, to be sure, but many of the problems
people have with the government today are simply a matter of priorities.
The big legislation making news right now is that on the
issue of health care. Most of those, on
the right and the left, can agree that improvements can stand to be made to the
health care system in America. There are
serious issues over affordability of health insurance and treatment for many
Americans. Unfortunately opposing sides
can't seem to agree on the best solution.
Beyond the merits of any particular type of action on health
care, though, is whether this issue is the one of highest priority today. Americans are seeing the highest unemployment
rates they have seen in decades. They
are hearing pleas from our military in Afghanistan for more troops lest we risk
losing the war there. They are seeing
madmen around the world with nukes making noise on the world stage. Many people would rate those as higher
priorities right now than the issue of health care.
Health care is at least a serious issue though. It is one that hits Americans not only in
their pocketbooks, but affects their quality of life. The same cannot be said for some of the other
issues consuming the White House lately.
A couple of weeks ago the big news was the all out effort
the President made to bring the 2016 Olympic Games to Chicago. In mid-September the President held an event
on the White House lawn to rally support for the Chicago games, and then he and
the First Lady even flew to Copenhagen to make personal pitches in front of the
International Olympics Committee. That
effort was unsuccessful, but at least it was limited in time and
resources. A new effort the White House
has undertaken could last his entire term in office.
The White House communications director Anita Dunn's
declaration of war on Fox News could last for years and take up much more time
and energy than the quick trip to Copenhagen.
Dunn said that "Fox News often operates as either the research arm or
the communications arm of the Republican party." Dunn said the White House was
going to treat Fox News "the way we would treat an opponent." When I look at the way the White House has
treated some of the country's enemies lately I am not sure whether that is a
good or a bad thing.
The amount of time and attention the war against Fox News is
receiving is not limited to the communications director. Dunn said when the President goes on Fox he
realizes it is "not a news organization at this point, he is going on to debate
the opposition." But when the President
recently blitzed the Sunday morning shows, he pointedly skipped Fox.
Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Sunday, talked to Bill
O'Reilly about the snub. Wallace said
"there's kind of childishness or pettiness about it," and "they are the biggest
bunch of crybabies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington."
The President has personally made comments about not only
the Fox News Channel, but about individual Fox personalities like Sean Hannity.
When people see the President's attention directed at a feud with a cable news
channel, and even individual political commentators, it is no wonder so many
people are asking if the President's priorities are in order.
Lorie Byrd's Bio
Lorie Byrd is a stay-at-home mom from North Carolina with a passion for politics. She is a columnist for Townhall.com and a contributing editor to the Wizbang Blog.com .
Posted
10-15-2009 12:01 AM
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