Show me an Investment Plan

When the Detroit big three came to Washington asking for a loan to rescue their companies from pending bankruptcy, the Congress was steadfast on demanding a business plan. And they were right to do so.

Now, Congress and the incoming administration will ask the taxpayer to spend what some have reported to be close to a Trillion dollars on a new ‘stimulus package’. Taxpayers must demand an investment plan. They will be in their rights to do so.

It is undeniable that the economy needs a big shot in the arm to boost job creation, generate sustainable opportunities for investment, and stop deflation in its tracks. So, the issue is not whether we need a ‘stimulus’, but rather the kind of ‘stimulus’ we are going to get.

It would be a grave mistake if Washington just bundled up lawmakers' favorite projects and threw the people's money at them. I do not have any reason to believe that President Obama will allow for such an approach, but the usual deal-making in Congress may produce just that: Throwing money into the wind.

The so-called ‘Stimulus’ must be managed as both a public trust and a capital investment venture (irony noted!). First, I would not call it a ‘Recovery Plan’ or a ‘stimulus package’. Instead it should be designated as a National Investment Plan (NIP). The short-term goal, of course, is economic recovery, but the core objectives of this plan are the reinvention of American competitiveness and the retooling of the nation’s market institutions. Second, I would demonstrate and quantify every initiative in terms of Return on Investment (ROI) to the taxpayer and report on benchmarks along the way. The country needs smart investments in new technology, renewable energy, scientific discovery, and education.

There is no doubt that American universities are the best in the world, but let there be no doubt that the state of our primary and secondary school system is a national emergency. The only way forward for the US economy is for it to be a hi-tech economy. So, without a reliable farming system that produces the hi-tech skills needed to maintain US global leadership in the world, we may have to grudgingly resign ourselves to being a nation in decline.

Furthermore, if the country does not move aggressively to invest in technology and scientific discovery, others in the world will beat us to the punch in fields such as biotechnology, energy, aeronautics, and—yes dare I say— even information technology. The long-term implication here is that we slowly become costumers of new ideas as opposed to producers of breakthrough innovation.

So, to Washington: Seize the opportunity and think of those who will inherit this country after you are gone. Have your metrics for the short-term (market stabilization, job creation), but make sure you focus on reseeding the economy so that this country continues to be a place of both opportunity and innovation.

Oh yes – and we would like to see an investment plan before spending the people’s money this time around.

The Absurdity of Rovian Politics

Governor Palin has declared the "small towns" of America that she and her running mate "get to visit" to be "the real America" where the real "patriotic" and "pro-America" citizens of this country live. Almost robotically, their campaign surrogates started falling in line.

One campaign adviser unashamedly declared that Northern Virginia was not “the real Virginia" – suggesting that immigrants and liberals somehow taint the ‘realness’ of this region of the Commonwealth. Another, a Congresswoman nonetheless, asked the news media to do "a penetrating expose" on Congressional Democrats in order to "find out" if "they are pro-America or anti-America?" Another Congressman, speaking at a recent McCain-Palin event, roared that "liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God."

This detestable campaign rhetoric is an affirmation of the intellectual deficit that has plagued the GOP and the McCain Campaign for months. They have no new ideas on addressing the country's problems and no awareness of the damage they are inflicting upon their party brand with their 'Rovian' politics. Their stubborn attachment to a "divide-and-conquer" strategy at a time of national crisis is patently absurd.

People in this country need answers to their mortgage problems; they want solutions to health care, retirement pensions, education reform, college affordability, and job creation in an increasingly globalized economy. A case in point: While Barack was moderating a high-octane economic panel in Florida earlier this week, the McCain-Palin campaign was out on the trail playing wedge politics with no substantive contributions to the nation’s current state of affairs.

They say facts are stubborn things. Yet, the GOP operatives are hell-bent on ignoring them.

It is hard to understand the strategic motivation of this masachist posture not just because it harms them down-ticket during this electoral cycle, but also because they are significantly eroding any chance of having a sustainable governing coalition in the future. They are alienating minorities including the country’s fastest-growing demographic group; they have no appeal to a majority of young people and, as it has become clear in recent days, they are pushing away their own moderates. Is anyone—anyone sane that is—in charge at the Elephant Zoo?

They say: If you’re in a hole, stop digging. Yet, the GOP just keeps digging and digging

Separating Leadership from Demagoguery

When Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama this morning, he did so in primetime with a full explanation. He pointed to the intellectual deficit of the GOP and the disappointing tactics of the McCain Campaign. He contrasted the erratic decision-making style of Senator McCain to the impressive temperament and intellect of Senator Obama. It was a clear-cut decision: For a nation battered by short-sighted and ill-devised policies, Colin Powell opts for the transformational leadership of Barack Obama.

In discussing his discontent with his Party and with the McCain campaign, Gen. Powell got specific. To my delight, he picked on an issue I raised in a recent blog: Gratuitous right-wing anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice. He explained:

...It is permitted to be said such things as, ‘Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.’ Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is: What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? (NBC, Meet the Press, 10/19/2008)

The General, then, illustrated his point with the moving story of a young Muslim-American soldier who gave his life in defense of this country, earning a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star along the way. In a matter of seconds, Colin Powell showed more wisdom and leadership than Senator McCain was able to show during weeks of campaigning as he gave audience to blatent anti-Muslim rhetoric at his rallies.

The heart-felt wisdom of General Powell this morning may be heresy to right-wing demagogues, but it is a fresh breeze of hope for the rest of us - those who believe that this nation is far better than the remnants of its darker history.

We are ready for change. And we can not wait for the transcendent leadership of Barack Obama.

The Offense No One Is Talking About

When a woman stood up at a recent McCain campaign event and said that she does not trust Barack Obama because she thinks that "he's an Arab", I certainty was not surprised. I believe this nation has made great progress since the civil rights struggle, but I am not so naive as to think that America has done away with the unconscionable disease of racial discrimination.

What surprised and shocked me, however, was McCain's response to the offense. In addressing that same supporter, he said: "No, ma'am. He's a decent family man, a citizen who I just happen to have serious differences with on fundamental questions." Now, that sounds like a sensible statement and the media has certainly hailed it as such with some even calling it "courageous" and "commendable".

The problem with the statement—and the lack of substantive coverage it received—is that it legitimized a contemptible choice between being an "Arab" and being "a decent citizen". To Arab Americans, this exchange further confirmed the mainstream acceptance of anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab bias in America. Here, John McCain had a double-dip opportunity to (a) pull back on the dangerous vitriol directed against his opponent and (b) address in swift terms the larger issue of racism, which in this case was directed against Arab Americans. He addressed the former and completely ignored the latter. And everyone else did too.

To my knowledge, no one in either campaign has come out to explain that such statements are not just about some false rumor designed to attack the character of Senator Obama. These statements are injuring fellow Arab and Muslim Americans whose loyalties, decency, and contributions to our nation are unquestionable.

Would McCain’s response be called “courageous” had he reacted in the same manner to a supporter who might have said that they don’t trust Obama because ‘he’s a Jew’ or because ‘he’s black’. Would the “decent-citizen” response be deemed sufficient? The answer is No and righfully so.

It is offensive that John McCain has not even thought about reacting to his supporter by adding that beyond her false characterization of Senator Obama, Arab and Muslim Americans are decent, hard-working and patriotic citizens, no different from anyone else.

It is unconscionable that the leaders of this country continue to allow anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab sentiments to simmer above the surface and in plain sight.

The Knee-Jerk Politics of John McCain

You can say a lot about a person's leadership ability based on how they think and act under pressure. On the first and most important decision either candidate had to make (VP selection), Barack showed strength and wisdom despite immense pressure from within his own party, while John McCain shot from the hip with a reactionary political move that grossly misunderstands the electoral base of his opponent.

Mr. McCain knows that he is in trouble. He too watched the DNC convention and must have come to the conclusion that: (1) The Change banner is too powerful to defeat with a conventional Republican message; and (2) The connection made between him and the sitting president is too powerful to ignore - In Barack's words: "8 Years is Enough!".

So, when time came to select his running mate, he went with a knee-jerk move based on panicked punditry and unsettled polling. He now has a running mate that he himself hardly knows - He only met Governor Palin once and has never worked with her in any capacity. And she, a heart-beat away from the top of the ticket, has zero experience in national and international affairs. As a result, he now undercuts his central critique against Barack, brings concerns about his age and health back to the forefront, and provides the electorate with an unsettling preview of how he intends to make big decisions if he ascends to the presidency.

People across this nation surely disagree about a wide range of issues, but I don’t think many of them want another president who will shoot from the hip on matters of national significance.

Sweet Beginnings

Every American who watched Barack Obama draw a cheering crowd of 200,000 in the heart of "Old Europe" must be immensely proud. Anything short of that is just plain bitterness and senseless rancor. Senator Obama has lifted the curtain on a "known-known" that has been obscured by eight years of combative politics: That the world longs for an America that awes the soul with inspirational possibilities rather than one that shocks the mind with threatening postures and bullying propositions.

The world is excited and America should be proud. The dark cloud of fear and anger is moving away despite the troubled souls who want to hold it back; despite the cynical voices who do not believe we can finally chase it away.

When I decided to support Barack Obama I had already read his first book and was anticipating his second. I had already related to his personal story and intellectual journey through my own experiences. I knew what he talked about when he openly discussed his early struggles with identity and loss. I knew what he meant when he described his intellectual evolution from arid confusion to buoyant illumination. Like him, I see the world for the good it is capable of and not for the harm it occasionally inflicts upon itself. Barack’s sense of hopeful idealism is something I can remember to have struggled for and not to have inherited; something I know was difficult to attain when early indicators of my circumstances pointed instead towards cynicism and doubt.
I know why I support Barack because I know where he is coming from.

So, I will no doubt disagree with him on various policy approaches to issues both large and small. I can disagree with him on FISA, discourage him from adopting a protectionist stance on trade, argue with him over the role of government in the economy, and urge him not to delay the next-generation space vehicle program. But, I also know why I support Barack Obama. I support him because I believe him to be the most inspiring political figure to appear on the world stage in several decades. I support him because I believe him to be the person who will reclaim the America that kids around the world can close their eyes and dream about. I support him because I know that what shaped his heart and molded his mind is a longing for the betterment of both self and the other in the face of cynical odds.

America has again produced its best and brightest at a time when skeptics are writing it off as ‘a nation in decline’; an affirmation of both its history and destined trajectory.

Veep Choices for Obama: There Are Only Two

There is much speculation about who Obama should pick as his running mate. There is of course talk about a unity ticket with Clinton. Some argue that the presidential candidate should pick one of several governors, including Kaine of Virginia, Napolitano of Arizona, and Sebelius of Kansas. Others advocate for one of Obama's senate colleagues including Dodd of Connecticut, Biden of Delaware, and McCaskill of Missouri.

That's all well and good for filling the 24-hour news cycle with unsubstantiated political speculation, but in my opinion Obama has only two real choices that he should spend his scarce time evaluating:

1. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. A senior Republican senator, Vietnam veteran, and experienced legislator on defense and foreign policy issues. His selection will give Obama an enormous political advantage both in terms of competitiveness in the general election and in reinforcing the historical character of his candidacy. With Hagel, Obama would be following the example of his fellow Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, by selecting a VP from the opposition party and moving to unite the country during his presidency.

2. Jim Webb of Virginia. A freshman Democratic Senator from a key swing state. He is also a blue-dog democrat with honorable military service and extensive experience in Defense. He served in the Reagan administration as Secretary of the Navy and defeated a strong Republican incumbent in a red state. Webb will give Obama much needed muscle on Defense issues and will deliver the state of Virginia and much more given his centrist approach to politics.