President Obushma? I Hope Not. But I Fear So.

When they campaign, they promise us the moon. When they campaign, they also somehow convince us that they're different than their competitors, and even that they're different than the office-holder that they will replace. Maybe they really are different.

But then the unfortunate reality sets in--the reality of a behemoth that is at odds with American ideals. On this Inauguration Day 2009, with the Establishmentarians firmly ensconced behind the dais in the shadows of power, I'm worried that four years from now, we will all be saying, "Obama wasn't much different from Bush after all." Although I sincerely hope he is different, here's my list of ways in which I'm afraid Barack Obama will probably not be much different than George W. Bush.

The inauguration speech of President Barack Obama was magificent. It was much more inspiring than something

How can it be that hard? It doesn't take four years to sign an Executive Order.

a George Bush, a Jimmy Carter, or even a Bill Clinton could have delivered. I disagree with the President's stand on a few of the issues that he talked about. On other issues, I agree with him wholeheartedly. I'm just worried that, because of the shadows of power, he won't be able to accomplish what he set out to do on the campaign trail.

Community service. I like a President who uses his office as a soap box to enourage everyday Americans to care

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the following special announcement: Obama's current position is that if he is able to close Guantanamo by the end of his first term, he will consider that a success.

for one another. What I don't like is when the government uses its power and money to either compel such caring. George W. Bush advocated "faith-based initiatives", which Obama recently stated he would expand. That's not good. Both forced charity and subsidized charity eventually become no charity at all.

Bailouts. On this subject, the President has already shown that he's more concerned about our short-term than our long-term benefit. Do

Like Bush did, President Obama plans to increase government control of health care, which is the primary reason that health care costs continue to explode all across America.

bailouts help? Absolutely not. They only make things worse. President Obama knows this. It doesn't take an economic rocket scientist to figure it out. Yet he has already proposed to make the economic cliff bigger from which we must eventually fall.

Government Health Care. In his address earlier today, President Obama stated that "Our health care is too costly." Unfortunately, like his predecessor, he plans to increase government control of health care, which is the primary reason that health care costs continue to explode all across America.

Education. Not much will change here, which won't be a surprise. A couple of decades ago, the Republicans planned to demolish the Department of Education and return education

It doesn't take an economic rocket scientist to figure out that bailouts delay and exacerbate the inevitable. Yet President Obama has already proposed to make the economic cliff bigger from which we must eventually fall.

where it belonged--to the states. George W. Bush was the head cheerleader, though, for No Child Left Behind. The changes that Barack Obama would like to make to NCLB would be better than what we currently have, but the greatest problem facing education today is the federal control of it.

Iraq. Obama claimed that he would have the troops out of Iraq within 16 months. Then he said it would be most of the troops. Now it seems he's just fine with taking the full three years that the Iraqi parliament mandated is the limit. Strangely similar to George W. Bush, and to his Republican presidential opponent, John McCain, Obama has consistently been in support of leaving a residual U.S. force there...forrr-evvvv-errrr.

Guantanamo. The prison and torture facility at Guantanamo Bay must be closed immediately, Obama used to say. We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the following special announcement: Obama's current position is that if he is able to close Guantanamo by the end of his first term, he will consider that a success. How can it be that hard? It doesn't take four years to sign an Executive Order.

National Crisis. George W. Bush had his ready-made galvanizing crisis when the terrorists struck on 9/11. Vice-president Joe Biden has already promised us a couple of months ago that we will have another such crisis, and that when it comes we must stand behind our President, even if it seems like we shouldn't. Sounds exciting!! Stay tuned.