That Was the Year That Was

[babylonsister]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/opinion/31collins.html

That Was the Year That Was

By GAIL COLLINS
Published: December 30, 2009


Wow, what a long year.

Just think. At the beginning of 2009, George W. Bush was still in charge of the country, talking about how time had flown since he first ran for president.

“Just seemed like yesterday,” he reminisced.

This was a sentiment the rest of us did not entirely share. I felt as if Bush had been running things since the Mesozoic Age.

But now it also feels as if Barack Obama has been president forever. I’m beginning to wonder if in the 21st century, White House years are going to be like dog years in reverse. Every one is equivalent to seven or eight in the normal human calendar.

I personally think Obama has been doing a good job, all things considered. The economy is still depressing, but that’s an improvement over mind-bendingly terrifying. The rest of the world likes us better, and whenever the president goes overseas he seems to be able to nudge the other countries toward a little progress on some issue on which they had been hopelessly stuck.

And health care reform. Extremely big deal. Really could pass. Eventually.

No matter how difficult the issue, Obama has been sensible, deliberative. Just look at Dick Cheney swooping around like a dementor from Harry Potter, and you have to appreciate how much things have improved.

But Lord, is it good to bid farewell to 2009.

snip//

Remember the Ben Nelson crisis, and the Joe Lieberman crisis, and the plan from the freshman Democrats, and the plan from the moderates, and the revolt of the conservative Democrats and the revolt of the progressive Democrats? Boy, those were fun times. I bet Majority Leader Harry Reid is reliving them right now while he spends New Year’s Eve on the floor of his bedroom in a fetal position.

The job of governing jumped from difficult to impossible after those right-wing tea parties last summer, which eliminated any Republican notions that if a president won a big election victory and large majorities in the House and Senate then that might be a sign of the American people wanting him to succeed.

No more. This might allow one to theorize that Glenn Beck wrecked our year if we did not already know it was Joe Lieberman.

[applegrove]

1. Thanks for posting.

[babylonsister]

2. applegrove, Happy New Year to you!

:toast:

[applegrove]

3. YOU TOO! CHEERS!!

[Cha]

4. More exposure.

[Hekate]

5. Kick

:kick:

[alsame]

6. 'Cheney swooping around like a dementor' is a perfect description. nt