From the moment he bungled the oath of office at high noon on Jan. 20, 2009, left hand on the Lincoln bible in an attempt to emulate a man he is so unlike and his right hand raised promising to uphold the Constitution and protect this nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic, President Barack Hussein Obama began to systematically dismantle the United States as we know it, urged on by the fingers of Machiavellian puppeteers who pull his strings to turn this exceptional country into a third world banana republic.

He wasted little time in taking over the nation’s banking system; dictating compensation received by some of Wall Street’s top executives; attempting to completely overhaul a health care system that simply needed a little tweaking; took over America’s automobile industry, dreaming up the ill-advised “Cash for Clunkers” that saw sales plummet more than 50 percent the month after it was over; sabotaging this nation’s long-standing leadership role in world affairs by intentionally disrespecting – at home and particularly abroad.

His economic stimulus package, shepherded by Treasury Secretary Tim (No Tax) Geitner, is a complete and utter failure, a botched, wrong-headed and intentional approach that only makes matter worse, leads to no easing of the recession despite what the White House says, consummating in record unemployment bordering on 10 percent and growing daily. Do you recall the time-honored admonition, “physician, heal thyself?” Well, our economy would have healed itself over time simply by leaving it alone and stimulating the area that is at the heart of our employment base, small business, with tax incentives.

Worst of all, Obama is now endangering the lives of thousands of America’s sons and daughters - soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen - in Afghanistan by ignoring the repeated requests of his boots-on-the-ground commanding general, Stanley McChrystal, for an additional 40,000 to 60,000 troops to keep al Qaida off our shores. In a war fought to preserve the Union, not tear it apart as Obama is so dedicated in accomplishing, the man he seeks to emulate, Abraham Lincoln, desired generals who knew how to fight, and used every resource to provide them the men and material needed to achieve “victory,” a term not in Obama’s vocabulary. Lincoln kept firing generals that would not fight until he found some who would.

And, Obama will not even support and heed the advice of his Afghanistan commander, who does want to fight. Pray for our country. It is sorely in need of divine intervention.

Chuck Butler

Granite Bay