Can President Obama Turn Words Into Action?
Last week, President Obama called it “shameful” that the bank executives, who took taxpayer money through the bailout last fall, paid themselves large bonuses. While the vast majority of the public agrees with this view, there is little that President Obama can directly do about these bonuses at this point. However, with more bailout money on the way (probably much more), President Obama will be in a position to seriously constrain executive compensation in the future at the banks that are subsisting on government largess. However, before we even get to Round II of the bailout, there is some quick business that he should attend to right here in Washington. more] –> Last month, on the day before Christmas, Fannie Mae announced that it had reconstituted its board of directors. According to The Washington Post, the nine directors will receive annual pay of $160,000 each (more if they chair a committee), while the chair of the board will take home $290,000 a year. This pay seems rather hi
Words can be a powerful motivator toward action and a skill that any good leader would do well to master. While a skill at oratory does not guarantee a successful Presidency, those who have been successful have all been master communicators, from Kennedy, to Reagan, to Clinton, to Obama. Obama’s mastery at the spoken word has served him well as he has accomplished many of the issues he claimed he wanted to address during his term in office, Among those have been
- increasing governmental transparency with such projects as the Recovery.gov website that citizens can visit to see how monies from the Recovery Act are being spent.
- authorizing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has been credited with creating 2.1 million jobs as of the end of last year.
- ending the media blackout surrounding the return of soldiers killed in the line of duty.
- providing funds to families of the fallen soldiers so that they can travel to Dover Air Force base to see their loved ones returned.
- re-engaged foreign allies after years of neglect.
And these are just a few of the things he has accomplished through a combination of brilliant oratory to inspire the goal, then encourage allies to reach it.
