A Muddy Slog to Easy Street

Things are going well, thanks for asking. The snow we got last week works out perfectly, keeping the ground cold enough despite the mild winter that the apple trees won't start budding too early. The sun gaining intensity every day and that melting runoff everywhere, from the roof, in the road, makes it feel like the whole world has turned the corner at last. Good times are just ahead.

The economic data shows the winds of the recession abating as well, although here in my town, home sales are still at a crawl, and many are predicting a rough town meeting season coming up this month as many are still having a hard time meeting mortgage payments. It's a muddy slog getting to easy street.

But the mood of the country is upbeat, just look at Obama hitting on all cylinders, whether it be domestic politics or the international arena. Used to be, the wise rule of the leader, they said, was reflected in the bounty of the berry harvest and the lushness of the nut crop in the trees. Now we look at the stock market flirting with new highs to measure our well-being.

And let's give Obama his due, the economic policies of the stimulus were responsible for putting a brake on what could have been a major global bank run, and we're starting to see that turnaround today. The Republicans are not going to be able to run on doom and gloom this fall, which means that they will have little middle ground to coalesce around as soon as their primary campaign is done. Many, including myself, have suggested that Obama and his policy advisers have had a hand in dragging the Republican primary season on beyond its shelf life by throwing red meat to the social conservatives in the way of the "access to contraception in Obamacare" issue when they announced the new policy directives last month.

And it has borne spectacular fruit in the final death throes of the Rush Limbaugh phenomenon, as this veteran master of hate-filled vitriol, and the unacknowledged leader of the Republican right wing, seems finally to have hoisted himself by his own petard. Barack, in effect, set the play in motion, baiting the dragon, then rushed to the damsel's side to rescue her last week, calling Sarah Fluke on the phone to comfort her after her bruising by innuendo. This has to be one of the most masterful moments in recent Presidential history. Kudos to Ms. Fluke for not accepting the Rushster's apology.

Obama is demonstrating a rare political maturity as well internationally, and the whole world may have us to thank for electing him. You're welcome, Benjamin Netanyahu. The North Koreans have announced they are throwing in the towel peacefully, chalk one up to the rule of law. And thanks to Barack, we may have also held off the dogs of war in the Middle East for the next few months anyway and therefore prevented a nuclear showdown which might have thrown the entire planet into tilt. This latest diplomatic coup has been done masterfully, under our noses, without major Camp David meetings or attention-getting policy speeches, which has allowed the parties involved to save face.

Between Hillary Clinton and himself, the Obamaites are right now running the table. Wake up America, we are in the midst of an historical moment. One that bodes well for our children.