Obama The Visionary Minimalist

Washington Independent:

Some public officials are minimalists. They do not like to reject the fundamental commitments of their fellow citizens. On environmental questions, sex equality, national security and economic policy, they try to bracket our deepest disagreements. They seek to obtain a consensus on what to do -- not on why to do it.

...

Obama is something new in American politics -- and not just for the obvious reasons. He is a visionary minimalist. This is a key both to his extraordinary campaign and to his unique promise. It even helps explain his conception of public service.

Read the whole story: Washington Independent

Comments

[hufporeadersaremorons]

The revised version:
The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation's challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by setting a goal that all middle school and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year and by developing a plan so that all college students who conduct 100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4,000 of their college education is completely free. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

[hufporeadersaremorons]

Promise #2 broken...I mean "changed" so I guess its ok:
(original version from Obama web site) The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation's challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

[jacqmac]

He hasn't even DONE anything yet!! Sure, he's been getting it all together, but he can't DO ANYTHING until January 20 at noon! However, what he HAS suggested is GOING to happen is out of sight!!
I stand with Bill Maher. On Friday night, at the close of his live show on HBO, Maher told the Repubs to LAY OFF the PRESIDENT! He wanted no trumped up scandals-no special prosecutors-no White House interns! The Repubs are not giving Obama a chance here. However, that's okay--because they don't have any leadership and the cannibalism that they are engaging in in PUBLIC needs to be taken back to the cave. A few organizations, when they reach the point of IRRELEVANCY, begin to TURN ON THEMSELVES. This is exactly what is happening in the Republican party---they are IRRELEVANT and they are not liking it!!

[Grunty1]

So many people trying to put Obama into a confined, defined space.
He hasn't even taken office yet!

[iPolitics]

Latest USA Today/Gallup numbers released Monday show 68% of voters view the president-elect favorably.
Up from 62% before the election -- the highest of any major presidential candidate since Gallup began measuring it in 1992