A Republican Who Likes Obama

I'm an elected Republican and I'm happy with Barack Obama ... sort of.

Of course I'm unhappy with him monkeying around with the economy, but he's not doing any worse than Bush on that stuff.

Here's why I'm happy:

1. Obama stepped up to the plate on medical marijuana. Under Bush (and Clinton), the feds would arrest people involved with medical marijuana even where it was legal under the laws of those states. For those who think Republicans are supposed to hate marijuana, that's missing the important principle. Republicans believe (or used to believe) in federalism and states' rights. If a state wants to allow medical marijuana, the feds should respect that. Obama does.

2. Obama is pushing to end the crack/powder disparity. Long ago the feds made the same stiff penalties apply to 5 grams of crack cocaine and 500 grams of powder cocaine. Many felt this was unfair since the drugs are essentially the same and since crack is used more heavily by poor blacks vs. wealthy whites using powder. Of course Obama should go farther, but he's done more than Clinton did on it.

3. Obama is right on the torture issue. I've been sickened by reading how some of our nation's top officials justify torturing people because 9/11 changed things. Baloney. Torture is wrong. We're better than that. I'm waiting to hear Bush answer the question: Who would Jesus torture?
Same on this point for Gitmo. Time to close it down.

4. Obama is right on opening up dialogue with other countries. Yes, I do think governments in places like Iran, Cuba and Venezuela stink. But we work with plenty of other countries that stink too. The talks probably won't lead anywhere meaningful - those leaders will stay rotten. But not talking is worse.

5. Obama understood that belt-tightening starts at the top - a view not shared by the Democrat leadership in Guilderland. On his first day in office he instituted a pay freeze for top officials in the White House. Grandstanding? Maybe, but good policy anyway.

There's more, but I give Obama credit for doing the right thing on some tough issues. Now if only he could get past that whole socialist mentality and start to recognize that capitalism is better ...