Letter to the Editor

"I won." 

Those two simple words put into context how President Obama and the then Democrat majorities in both the House and Senate were going to run things soon after the president was inaugurated in January 2009.  In essence what Democrats were saying to Republicans and the country was if you don't like it...tough. 

So, without debate, behind closed doors the great stimulus package of nearly $1 trillion was foisted off on the country as away to jump start 'shovel ready projects' and to assure unemployment did not rise above 8%.  A trillion dollars should have repaired/replaced substantial amounts of decrepit infrastructure but alas that was not the case.  And the country would relish unemployment being at 8% instead of the 9% it currently is reported to be and at one time was flirting with 10%.  

"I won," got the country a health care bill that was composed entirely behind closed doors with only a handful of key Senate Democrats allowed into crafting the legislation and then once it was ready to be voted on gave voice to then Speaker Nancy Pelosi's famous quote, "we've got to pass the bill to see what's in the bill."    Govenors Scott Walker of Wisconsin, John Kasich of Ohio and Chris Christie of New Jersey to name the most prominent of newly elected Republican governors also can proudly state that "I won." 

Unlike the unexperienced neophyte of a president who voted "present" in the Illinois Senate when he was a state senator rather than take a position on subjects concerning the state these newly elected governors are taking their "I won" statements and turning them into policies necessary to right their states fiscal ships.  President Obama is a true Democrat politician bathed in the politics of Illinois. 

A state where our newly elected governor, Pat (Pinnochio) Quinn (D)-Marshmellow took his "I won," statement as a mandate to pretty much assure Illinois sinks under the weight of increased debt, without addressing the underlying causes that have put the state in the state it's in.  We Illinoisans ought to be proud that we have a president and a governor that don't have the courage or the conviction of a marshmellow to do what is right for the country and right for the state. 

Let's just keep on spending, while denouncing the governors that have the actual backbone to be taking effective steps to bring sound, fiscally responsible government back into vogue.  

Steve Sarich, Grayslake