Peat and Repeat were sitting on a Log

Is history going to repeat itself as it always has? Here's hoping it doesn't.

In 1960 the United States had an election for president. The winner was the first Catholic to serve as our president. Much rhetoric was espoused about how Kennedy would do whatever the Pope told him to do. That did prove to be wrong. Our country had taken an important step forward.

Kennedy was an intelligent man. Some have said he was one of the top three/four presidents given that accolade. He didn't accept a salary while serving as president. And, I believe, he was very genuine in his character albeit marred with sexual escapades hidden by the press. (Did Clinton think he could be another Kennedy and everyone would turn their heads?)

However, Kennedy was one of the worse presidents we had in getting things accomplished in government. Check his record. His stand against Cuba and the Russian missiles was, in my opinion, the only good thing he accomplished. But when he died and Johnson moved into the White House, it was a drastic change. Johnson was a longtime member of Congress and could pass anything through the legislature—and he did.

Kennedy put "observers" in Viet Nam; Johnson sent soldiers. Kennedy pushed for civil rights legislation; Johnson made it a reality. Kennedy said "…ask what you can do for your country," Johnson gave welfare carte blanche—something for nothing for everybody.

I remember a joke circulating while we were at UF. "After you see the doctor at the free clinic, pick up your government check. I'll get my free pair of glasses and government check for school and we'll meet up at 3 p.m. to protest the government." It took three and a half to four decades to correct those Johnson giveaways.

God forbid, if anything happens to Obama, we'd have another Johnson in Biden in the White House.

Last night's celebrations were not about a Democratic president, it was about an African American becoming president. All the speeches addressed our having a first African American president. If that isn't about race, what is? People weren't celebrating what President Elect Obama is going to do as president. That—what he is going to do as president—is what scares me. I've been there and seen that already.

Obama has no experience to prepare him for the presidency. Some people say that is his plus. Even Kennedy had experience!

And what does Obama want to do with our country? Everything he has said is a return to a welfare state. Our military has not been respected by Democratic party officials since the '60s. Remember our soldiers coming home from Viet Nam and being spat upon? Have we forgotten how the Clintons and their staff treated the military personnel serving at the White House? I haven't. And have we forgotten that under a Democratic president our soldiers were financially below the poverty level in salary and housing? In 1980 our military officers were saying, "If we had to go to war, we don't have time (equipment, manpower, etc.) to pull our pants on."

Being a charismatic speaker doesn't get anything accomplished in our government. Being an African American doesn't get anything done in our government. Being a Chicago political insider doesn't get anything done in our government.

So what does work in Washington? For all the change the Democratic party touted during the election process, their members in Congress/Washington will never relinquish their power for that change—just ask Pelosi. History will rear it's ugly head again—Give me! Give me! Give me!

Then, again, being God would get things done in our government.