It took a full three days for Obama to finally make an appearance on Monday to address the nation on Homeland Security. The barrage of criticisms from Republicans was so great that the White House and its press representatives The Washington Post and New York Times floated a story entitled “Big First Year Leaves Obama Tired,” as if to excuse POTUS for his lackluster response to the developing crisis. Even after Monday’s forced appearance, the criticism grew from the right and the left, so Obama made another appearance on Tuesday wearing the new Polo shirt Michelle gave him for Christmas. Now the Polo corporation was probably giddy over the noticeable plug for their product, and I may be old fashion, but I like my President to be a little more “Presidential” during a time of crisis. And make no mistake, this is a crisis.

As a hopefully logical individual, I cannot blame POTUS for what happened aboard Flight 253, but I can find fault with his appointees. The weekend performances of White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano left no doubt, after a year on the job, they are ill-equipped to handle their responsibilities. In the wake of no public appearance from Obama or Biden, Gibbs and Napolitano hit the airwaves for a ‘gaffe-filled’ 72 hours, that is now a matter of public record.

Gibbs is an arrogant and egotistical man, whose endless verbal missteps should have either earned him a reappointment or a dismissal at this point in time. On his best days, he is either an apologist or an obstructionist for the administration, but more often than not, a fountain of misinformation. His main gig seems to be releasing stories glorifying the “unprecedented” accomplishments of the Obama administration. He and Obama have used the word “unprecedented” so much, that the usage of that very word became the subject of a Politico story reprinted by news outlets worldwide. What was truly unprecedented this time was how causally the President took this threat on American life.

As for Napolitano, she is unqualified for the job. Political appointment as payback for support is nothing new in Washington. Napolitano, as Governor of Arizona was one of the first major Democrats to support Barack Obama. She was also a key member of his transition team. Napolitano came under fire after she said Sunday that “the system worked,” noting that the crew of Flight 253 “took appropriate action” to address the terrorist plot as it unfolded. But her remarks were met with instant criticism, prompting the Homeland Security chief to clarify herself during a round of media appearances Monday morning. The secretary then conceded on Monday that the system did not work.  After her Monday appearance on The Today Show, calls for resignation started to surface.

Earlier this year the Homeland Secretary faced calls of resignation when her office released a paper entitled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.” This report famously stated that, disgruntled military veterans were vulnerable to recruitment efforts by extremist groups as risk factors for rightwing extremism. Reaction from the military was swift and Napolitano made multiple apologies for any offense veterans groups had taken at the reference to veterans in the assessment, and promised to meet with those groups to discuss the issue.

In March 2009, Napolitano told the German news site “Spiegel Online” that while she presumes there is always a threat from terrorism: “I referred to ‘man-caused’ disasters. That is perhaps only a nuance, but it demonstrates that we want to move away from the politics of fear toward a policy of being prepared for all risks that can occur.”  In my opinion, Napolitano’s attempt to minimize terrorism only gives comfort to our enemies.

In April 2009 Napolitano, trying to defend her plans to thicken US-Canadian border security, claimed incorrectly that September 11 attack perpetrators entered the United States from Canada. Her comments provoked an angry response from the Canadian ambassador, media, and public.

I can live with an “ass” for a Press Secretary, but Napolitano fronts the most public and perhaps the most important agency in the government today. It was clear from day one, and continues to bear true by her performance over the past 11 months, she does not have the experience to lead Homeland Security. She does not project the resolve or determination of former directors Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff to develop and coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to strengthen the United States against terrorist threats or attacks. It is about time the “very tired” Mr. Obama leave the links in Hawaii and return to Washington to hand Napolitano her walking papers. It is time for the President to start taking National Security more seriously.

President Barack Obama who in the first 11 months of his presidency has ordered more than 50,000 American troops and an additional 35,000 mercenaries into the Afghanistan battle theater joined the long and distinguished list of Nobel Laureates. In accepting the award, Mr. Obama noted with a hint of irony “let us reach for the world that ought to be. We can understand that there will always be war, and still strive for peace.”  Irony or idiocy?

What is truly idiotic is the reaction from the liberal and progressive community expressing its disappointment at Mr. Obama’s decision.  Even his friend, Sixties radical Bill Ayers took to the streets of Chicago last week to protest the troop increase.  Many believed Obama was a man of peace. His initial claim to fame in last year’s campaign was the speech he gave in 2002 denouncing the war in Iraq (by the way, he was not in Congress at that time).  He was the Senator who boldly voted against additional funding for Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006. However, if you really listened closely, dug deep beyond the rhetoric, read the interviews, Mr. Obama repeatedly stated his intentions to finish and win the war in Afghanistan. This message was clear. Obviously, Mr. Ayers and the Nobel committee did not listen or chose to ignore those words.  Did they listen closely today when he said, ”a nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaida’s leaders to lay down their arms.  To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism, it is a recognition of history.” Finally, we now have the Obama War Doctrine, a rationalization for invasion.

Mr. Obama went on to say, “evil does exist in the world.” Sound familiar? Didn’t Mr. Bush talk incisively about an “axis of evil?” Read into this statement carefully; this year Afghanistan, next year Pakistan. Mr. Obama’s point is clear, we’re not going to kill you with our nukes, just our bullets and drones.

Theoretically, the Nobel Peace Prize should carry a truly inspirational message to the world by honoring someone who has demonstrated great fortitude in the face of adversity. I don’t blame Mr. Obama for accepting the Peace Prize, hey this is what he does, accept accolades for meager accomplishments. Today’s real shame belongs to the Nobel committee because they turned this award into a political denouncement of the Bush years, and unwarranted American aggression.  I guess Mr. Obama’s “war is good” speech left them dumbstruck and paralyzed.

For Mr. Obama, Oslo was the ultimate photo op. His ratings are sagging in Europe too, and this could really give him a needed pump.  I don’t believe it is cynical to say he is receiving this prize because he gives ‘pretty speeches.’ His rhetoric is inspirational to those who are weak and in need of a savior. If Mr. Obama had any pride, any shred of human decency he would have refused the Nobel or made a magnanimous gesture and passed it on to someone of true courage. Mr. Obama has not yet earned the right to share this honor with the likes of Martin Luther King and Bishop Desmond Tutu. Maybe someday. The only thing accomplished today was the Nobel committee succeed in reducing the aspirations of Alfred Nobel to a punchline.

Whenever POTUS strays from his carefully scripted verbiage the truth seems to seep out.  During his Health Care Town Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he disputed the notion that adding a government-run insurance plan into a menu of options from which people could pick would drive private insurers out of business, in effect making the system single-payer by default.

As long as they have a good product and the government plan has to sustain itself through premiums and other non-tax revenue, private insurers should be able to compete with the government plan, Obama said.  “They do it all the time,” he said. “UPS and FedEx are doing just fine. … It’s the Post Office that’s always having problems.”

Yes Mr. President you are correct, the Post Office under the direction of the executive branch of our government is $2.8 billion debt ($6 billion by the end of the year), dysfunctional and poorly managed.   If the government cannot run the Post Office correctly and profitably as the two private corporations POTUS sited, why should we trust the FED to run a health care program and effectively service our community while not adding trillions in debt to our national deficit?

Actually, the White House probably welcomes these diversions.  It pushes Health Care to the back pages until POTUS has time to regroup and formulate a new plan.  Second, it keeps our minds off the economy and the unnecessary wars we’re waging.  But what if POTUS actually takes this “diversion” and does something constructive with it?

POTUS is fond of appointing Czars, so maybe it is time to appoint a “Czar of Racial Harmony”.  The debate of ‘Black vs. White’ is a narrow-minded pursuit.  Anybody who lives in Los Angeles can tell you, it is not just ‘White vs. Black’, it is ‘Latino vs. Black’, ‘Black vs. Armenian’, ‘Armenian vs. Latino’, etc. ad nauseum. The election of a Black President should be to cause to celebrate our ability to see past the color of a man and extend acceptance to everyone. Unfortunately, the election has had the opposite effect. And if you don’t think so, you’re not listening to the ’streets.’

We need a constructive racial dialogue pronto.  A couple brewskis at the White House is a start, but once the photo op has faded, where will POTUS really guide us on this issue? Let’s hope that he really grabs this opportunity for Change, instead of just letting the chance slip through the cracks.

Henry J. Aaron, a health economist at the Brookings Institution, said that when he heard the industry’s promises on Monday, “I had a Rip van Winkle moment, as if I had fallen asleep in 1977 and woke up again this morning.” Mr. Aaron served in the administration of President Jimmy Carter, whose proposal for hospital cost controls prompted the industry to undertake a short-lived “voluntary effort.” I call it placating the boss.

The health care industry and their lobbyists are smart. Hilary Clinton’s reform package crashed and burned because she threatened to take a sledgehammer to their industry. Mr Obama is the ‘wooer’, he wants to charm everyone even if that means inviting the vipers in the front door. He may honestly believe logic and a deep sense of humanity and passion will persuade the big six that ‘altruism over profits’ is the route to redemption, but I think we should be more realistic about promises from big business. Either way, the White House conference, was a PR win for everyone and succeed in distracting us from the major issues, namely Afghanistan, our ever mounting debt and the financial crisis. And the best part (it’s claimed) is American will save up to $2 trillion dollars. Of course the details of those savings are vague and how they arrived at that figure is even more of a mystery, but heck, CNN predicts American’s will start feeling those savings in year 5 of Mr. Obama’s 10 year plan. Cannot wait!

Let’s be clear, this country needs health care reform. Every American should be entitled to comprehensive medical coverage and the best care possible, but let’s tackle the biggest problem first, namely the cost of drugs. Ask any single mother or anyone over the age of 55, and they will tell you their biggest expense is medicine. 46% of Americans take at least one prescription drug. If the administration really wants to get serious, let’s bring the pharmaceutical companies up to the hill and put them before a congressional committee to discuss their windfall profits. While Americans are taking a hit, the drug companies have continued their reign as the most profitable industry in the annual Fortune 500 list. Can you imagine how much money we can put back into the economy if 46% of the nation was able to save between $5.00 to $30.00 a month on medicine?

Mr. President, congratulations on your big Monday powwow and I want you to succeed, but don’t be taken in by the jackals whom you shared a photo op with, they’ll water down your efforts and figure out a way to make bigger profits in the bargain. Americans need immediate help, negotiating (exactly what Wal-Mart has been doing the past year) with the drug industry and establishing a fair base price for medicine is the best place to start any health care program.

he may refer you to the bank’s loss mitigation) department

The good news is, banks will generally not move into a foreclosure phase until you have missed 3 to 6 payments. At this point, if the default is not corrected (bringing your loan current), the lender orders a trustee to record a Notice of Default (NOD) at the County Recorder’s Office. This NOD puts the borrower on notice that he or she is facing foreclosure. This is very serious, but depending on where you live, you will have at least another 3 months to correct the problem. This is called the reinstatement period. In a future column, I will explore the foreclosure process in more detail.

Beware, there is an industry of scam artists posing as ‘foreclosure’ consultants. They advertise aggressively and promise all sorts of miracles. I recommend staying away from these firms. If they make it seem simple, then it’s probably too good to be true. There are a lot of good, reasonably priced lawyers in the marketplace who specialize in this area and will work with you regarding their fees. Knowing the law, or having a professional in your corner who does, will ease a large part of your problem.