Obama … the honeymoon is over.

One year into his first term President Barack Obama is flirting strongly with becoming a “one hit wonder” like former President Jimmy Carter. Unpopular fiscal bailouts of AIG and auto makers General Motors and Chrysler are but a few of the decisions which will haunt him as he seeks to add equally unpopular health and national security proposals to the agenda.

It has become painfully clear that the only thing that can get prompt attention in an Obama administration is uncontrolled spending ultimately at the expense of poor and middle class people. Given the way things are going over-all there will be little difference between the two shortly.

Supporters of Obama have constantly blamed former President Bush for everything but that must all end. There has been plenty of time and opportunity for Obama to be judged on his own merits. Judge him we must if this country is to endure.

Beyoncé … a matter of money or values?

Beyoncé first cited artistic reasons for canceling an earlier concert appearance in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2007. A Muslim country that has a female dress code. Now she must answer critics who want to know if she could not follow a modest dress code how is it she could give a private performance for Muslim leader Hannibal Gaddafi whose father has supported terrorism and who personally has a reputation for disrespect towards women and servants. One might also ask how her husband Jay-Z could go along with the performance given the reputation of Hannibal Gaddafi for a reported 2 million dollars.

It goes without saying that Beyoncé is talented and beautiful but somewhere the ball was dropped from a PR point of view.

I am sure it was very flattering to be asked by a foreign leader to do a private performance and even more flattering to have your fee met. We are living in tight times … but did she really need the money? Did she really need to have her ego stroked?

Her husband Jay-Z is reputed to be a business guru but the fallout publicly leaves one to question the wisdom he offered his wife in this matter.

I think if Beyoncé or Jay-Z had personally lost a loved one to the Pan Am Lockerbie jet bombing, the 911 attack of 2001, or common US domestic violence they would hold a different attitude.

On December 21, 1988 I was flying home on a domestic flight with loved ones wondering about my status after the news broke about flight 103.

Having an in-law who lost a beloved female relative in 2001 in the towers on 911, and having had several female relatives and friends who have survived domestic violence there is not enough money in the Gaddafi bank account to buy good will here.

A personal note to Beyoncé and Jay-Z … not your best judgment here!