Opinion: Has America Already Had 'O-nough'?

(Feb. 24) -- In 1946, Republicans ran on a campaign slogan of "Had Enough?" to mobilize voters who had grown tired of 16 years of Democratic control of Congress.

Yet only one year after electing him to office, voters have grown tired of President Barack Obama, or more precisely, his agenda to "transform" the United States. So much so, in fact, that the 1946 slogan is again finding traction. With a nod to the ubiquitous Obama campaign logo, the simple question that frustrated Republicans, Democrats and Independents are asking family and friends is now: "Had O-nough?"

There's a joke going around Washington. President Obama can take credit for exactly three new jobs since he's been in the White House: one in Massachusetts, one in Virginia and one in New Jersey.

And now he's creating a fourth in Indiana, where Evan Bayh is walking away from the U.S. Senate. Bayh was surprisingly honest on CBS' Early Show last week: "If I could create one job in the private sector by helping to grow a business, that would be one more than Congress has created in the last six months." It sounds like Bayh has had O-nough.

The Department of Labor announced last week that 473,000 new unemployment benefits applications were filed. Picture the crowd at this year's Super Bowl in Miami's Sun Life Stadium. Now multiply by six. Yet, the White House insists that 2 million jobs have been created, and Vice President Joe Biden assures us that "the best is yet to come." Biden may believe this, but almost nobody else does. A recent CBS News poll notes, "just 6 percent say the stimulus package has created jobs ..." Had O-nough?

When the Bush administration put forward a plan just before he left office on energy exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf, public comments ran two-to-one in favor (which is in line with public surveys on the question). But as the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire reported, Obama's Interior Department was more interested in hiding this fact than acting on it. "The Secretary may get questions about this ... while he's in Houston," an e-mail said. "We do have a preliminary tabulation of the comments, it has not yet gone to the Secretary. So the Secretary can honestly say in response to any questions that he's ... not yet seen the analysis of the comments." Had O-nough?

Americans' frustration with Obama's agenda goes beyond jobs. A week after the Justice Department announced 9/11 terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would be tried in a federal court in New York City, the Gallup organization found, "By 59 percent to 36 percent, more Americans believe accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed should be tried in a military court." Yet, the White House adamantly defends the rights of terrorists. Had O-nough?

Let us not forget the health care debate. Rasmussen Reports noted "61 percent of U.S. voters say Congress should scrap that plan and start all over again." But Obama insists on trying to ram it through. Had O-nough?

Evan Bayh took the easy way out. The question remains whether or not American public opinion will rise to such a boil that President Obama changes his agenda – but one thing is for sure, and that is the question every American is asking: Had O-nough?

Vince Haley is vice president for policy at American Solutions, which recently launched www.hadOnough.com – an online portal for citizens to let it be known that they have had enough with President Obama's agenda and want a new direction.


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