Lip Service -- Friend of the Pres and the Pols

I usually take a man by his word, or a woman for that matter.  But lately, I have heard a lot of gesture with little follow through.  Whether it was a grocery list of campaign promises from Barack Obama or a scrambling by current politicians to hide or deny their words, actions or even votes,

One year has passed since Barach Obama was inaugurated and I listed intently as he, again and again, paid lip service to  promises he made on the campaign trail: ending DOMA, DADT, etc.   I was taken in by such eloquence and promise.  Luckily, this guy still has three more years to prove himself!
On the other hand, you have, all over the country, a group of political contests gearing up in which the politicians involved will say anything to appeal to the current viewpoint of their constituents.  You have Harold Ford, Jr., once a promising representative from my home state of Tennessee, who lost his bid for the Senate to Bob Corker--another suspicious character when it comes to lip service and abortion.  Now, Mr. Ford wants Hillary Clinton's NY state Senate seat, currently occupied by Kirsten Gillibrand, who has proven a fierce advocate for issues important to New Yorkers.  All across the country, politicians are scrambling, like Ford, to change their former positions on issues in order to seem the more moderate candidate.  Meanwhile, the Tea Bag Party (or the New Republicans) are calling for politicians to wear their hatred and bigotry on their chests like a badge.  A big, honking badge of hate that they are proud of.  According to the new Republican Litmus Test, many moderate republican candidates, such as Gov. Charlie Christ of Florida (running for the Senate), would not recieve any funding from the party, although a more conservative candidate may not pass muster for the electorate in Florida.

I cannot expect conservative politicians like Ford, Jr. or Mr. Crist to come around.  They have proven to me without a doubt that they are snakes in the grass.  These days, all the flip-flops seem to be on the other foot--the RIGHT one!

Our President, though, I will continue to hold at his word.  I expect him to follow through and I expect that he has an agenda to do so, whether he feels it necessary to keep it to himself or not!