In the 2008 election, our new President campaigned on his twin themes of Hope & Change.  He held out the hope that he would change the way that Washington works.  Unfortunately, he has already failed to deliver on the first and very likely most important legislation of his new administration.

  The President made what looks like bipartisan overtures to the Republicans, even putting them into various positions on his staff and in his cabinet.  However, when we look at the so-called stimulus package that has now passed in congress, it is plain to see that these were just words (a refrain that President Obama used frequently in his campaign to emphasize his hope and change message). 

  This stimulus package did not arise from earnest bipartisan cooperation and discussion.  It does not meet the President's campaign call for openness and transparency.  The legislation does not exhibit any creativity, innovation, or pragmatic common sense.  It was not designed to benefit the nation.  Rather, the bill was crafted in committees ruled by partisan Democrats to reward their special interests friends and rushed to a vote without a real opportunity for the American people to see what is actually being proposed.  Not even the esteemed members of congress had the necessary time to read and evaluate this monstrous financial endeavor!

  Where is the change from business as usual in Washington?  What happened to the idea of having the people view the legislation before it becomes law? When did the President sit down with a diverse group of "leaders" to evaluate and select ideas that appear workable?  How, in other words, has the process of governing the nation changed?

  The truth is that the President cannot and will not bring his hope and change to America as he stated he would.  It is impossible for him to do so.  Since President Obama is a Democrat, he will stick with his party and be beholden to them for their support.  The sad reality is that partisanship will never give way to leadership because elections in our nation are only about power: getting it, keeping it, and increasing it.

  If the President was truly interested in changing how business is done by the elite ruling class that owns Washington, he would have pursued a much different approach. Since this legislation is a massive intrusion into the workings of our economic system, one would think that this was the perfect chance to do something different.  But that did not happen.  What we now have is more of the same, this time with the Democrats in charge and the vanquished Republicans sitting on the sidelines. 

  Real change in how Washington works could have been done with regards to this stimulus package.  For example, what if the President actually sat down with leaders of both parties and economists who have differing points of view to establish something truly workable?  What if the President had called for all ideas to be brought forth and evaluated?  What if the President then chose three of the most likely provisions that would begin to achieve his goal of jump starting the economy while leaving future actions to be determined by the actual conditions and results from implementing those three ideas? What if the President told his fellow Democrats that legislation being proposed must have as its first principle that which would be best for the nation?  What if the President rejected the partisanship from both sides and went before the American people to inform them of what he intended to do and why it was the best possible choice?  What if hope and change were other than a political slogan created to win an election? What if, what if, what if!

President Obama has squandered his opportunity to bring about change in his very first try at governing.  Perhaps he never intended to make any real changes.  To do that would require him to challenge his own party and the group think mindset that is at the core of partisanship and failure. The hold on power by the elites is not readily surrendered, and the weakness of the two party system that controls this great nation cannot be overcome when the President is a member of either party.  In voting the lesser of two evils, we see that once again we have garnered evil. By doing the same thing and allowing the elites to retain their power, we have ensured that the results will be the same.  Doing the same thing and expecting a different result was Einstein's definition of insanity!  Is there any doubt that we have an insane and out of control government run by two elite controlled parties?

  The jockeying for position in the 2010 elections has already begun.  The current atmosphere in Washington is once again that of partisan fighting.  The President has done nothing to change the dynamics, nothing to usher in a new era of Constitutional self government.  As a Democrat, he must be loyal to his party first!  He cannot and will not go against them for the sake of the country.  His clever campaign slogan was only a facade, and in the end, the change that we were hoping for has become an illusion.

  If we wish for something different, if we really want true change, we should vote for it.  Change to something different requires a different way of thinking and acting.  The election of 2010 will be the time and the opportunity to do just that.  It will be the chance for true independents, those who recognize the scam being perpetrated upon us all by the DEM/GOP/MSM propaganda machines, to reclaim an inheritance that has been stolen from us by the elites who control the two parties.  With that in mind, everyone who is concerned should consider either running for office or gathering with other like minded persons to choose an independent candidate who will represent the nation before any party.  Let's reject the elites and their power game and stand up for our country!  It is a sure guarantee that the elites will not!