Cautions, prayers for new president

Well, the election is over. My guy didn't win. Then again, he wasn't my first choice.

But we should all pray for Sen. Obama, that as president, he makes decisions that are good for the country and like President Bush has done, to keep us safe from those who want to harm us.

During the campaign, Obama was telling his throngs how the government was going to take care of them. That made me think of something President John Kennedy said many years ago. He said, "Ask not what you're country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country."

What I hear Obama saying is, ask not what you can do for your country, ask how much the government is going to give you.

During his victory speech at Grant Park Obama said "we'll all have to make sacrifices." During his campaign, after promising the world to many, what did he mean by "we'll all have to make sacrifices?"

Looking back, it seems most people are so shortsighted. Under President Bush, since his first tax cuts in 2001, we had over six years of growth and low unemployment. Then the housing crisis came (Democrats' doing), which in turn caused the current slowdown in the economy.

Obama and the Democrats pounded away at the idea that the last seven years have been this way. And you believed them! Just like 9/11. How soon we forget.

Obama has said he would like us to be more like Europe. Right now, Europe has high taxes, 12 percent unemployment and rising. I don't recall Europe's unemployment ever being less than 10 percent. I'm no economist, but that doesn't sound good.

I am grateful that the Democrats were not able to get the filibuster-proof Senate. At least now it will be a little more difficult for Obama and the liberal Democrats to initiate any of the giveaway programs they espouse.

Keep a close eye, friends. But again, let's all pray for our new commander-in-chief, that he leads this nation, the greatest nation on God's green earth, on a good path. And that he keeps himself and us safe.

Alan Haak

Palatine