II - On President Obama: His sensitivities

The sensitivities of President Obama

It's sad to declare that day after day any criticism of President Obama is seen as racism, discrimination, bigotry and the devil, squared.

First of all, he's Afro-American!

This long-standing talk of race relations in the United States, fomented by the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton who are looking under every rock for an excuse to re-inflame an old sore that should already have been long ago just one item of discussion of the real problems of the country.

And even if it's only because some “extreme” conservatives have really serious doubts about President Obama's nationality? Is he African or African-American? I'll decline to consider that as a believable possibility, thanks! But look, these and other topics of contention are only being raised to rob attention from the questions that truly need to be faced up to in this society.

And even for some "exaggerated conservatives" that doubt the American nationality of President Obama! Is he an African or an African American? I do not go down this path because I do not believe that this would be possible, I mean, a non-American as President of the United States! But this and other discussions only serve to steal attention from the real issues that should be discussed by society and be the focus of our politicians. They should look for solutions.

(President Lula and Zé Dirceu)

Second: any political attack is portrayed as personal – as an attack upon the person of Obama rather than a critique of his actions as President!

We've lived this drama in Brazil before; it goes on every day. Just visit Brazil to experience the Circus that's being put on by the Labor Party Era. Their “pals” don't really believe that Lula - who never saw or heard anything of wrong doing in the side room,- Jose Dirceu, Jose Genuino, etc. were the ones who really pulled off the peculato.

The majority of the population asks: "Whaddya mean, pal? I have no idea what this peculato is!"

It would be said up in my neck of the woods, “These guys would rob their own grandmother!” But I have to admit I hate even to write this awkward phrase, it's politically incorrect! Who cares?

For Obama when he first met Lula as President, he celebrated him very much: "This is my pal", he meant to say “camarada.” Any resemblance is purely coincidental.

Third, the “black” skin color of Mr. Obama has nothing to do with his Presidency – and of course nothing either to do with his administrative competency.

Neither, for that matter, had the “white' color of President Reagan to do with his speaking ability and his enviable administrative capacity. He was indeed a man of State!

Say, have you ever “missed” a Presidential administration that you never experienced? Well, I do.

Fourth, those first two years of the Obama Government that were to have brought up before the Senate and House of Representatives the issue of a comprehensive immigration reform when a majority could have approved and fulfilled what he'd [com]promised...

Hey, the lame excuse I've heard from the Brazilian press through jornalists like Joe, Eduardo de Oliveira, Edirson Paiva, etc is that there were more important policy issues than Immigration Reform for President Obama to resolve.

Now Immigration Reform is more important than anything else. What a contradiction and incoerence!