Dear President-Elect Obama,

Congratulations on your win Tuesday. You probably ran arguably the best campaign that's ever been run for President.

I listened to your celebration speech and one thing you said really caught my attention. You said that you wanted to be my President too. You said you needed my help. I found that interesting. If you want my help, I can offer some simple suggestions if you indeed want to be my President too. These should be really easy things for you. I've read that you don't actually favor some of the things your far-left comrades do and I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Here's a simple rule of thumb: if you campaigned on it and I disagreed with it, I won't hold that against you if you still want to implement those things you campaigned on. The people have spoken, and spoken rather loudly indeed. I believe most of what you campaigned on isn't good for the country but that's just my opinion. So if you implement all that you campaigned on, as far as I'm concerned we deserve what we get. But there are other things your far left-wing friends in Congress will want from you and these are things you did not campaign on. So if you truly want my help, here's what I'd like from you:

1. Unions. Senator, I fervently believe that unions have destroyed everything they've touched for the last 30 years. They've single-handedly dismantled our auto industry. Well, a mediocre product might share some of the blame but the union deserves most of it. They've bankrupted entire cities and are currently working over the airline industry and our school system. They have become nothing more than a legalized money-laundering apparatus for the Democrat Party. I do not want a union membership shoved down my throat and "dues" confiscated from me against my will, most which will go to a political party with whom I disagree. Please sir, do not sign Card Check when you are presented with it. I'm giving you good advice here - Card Check will only be ruled unconstitutional (eventually) and will result in a proverbial "slap in your face" if you sign it.
2. Leave talk radio alone. I understand that the left would really like a place on the airwaves. It seems to me they should be allowed to compete just like anyone else. I understand they've found it difficult to compete simply because most people don't want to hear them. But they have places in lots of other venues. They dominate the press, both the networks and the newspapers, which are both failing. They dominate our colleges and universities and even our elementary schools. The Democrat Party enjoys union support which unions don't offer Republicans. It seems to me, if it's fair to force liberal talk radio into a venue where they aren't profitable because the folks simply don't want to hear them, it's also fair to force unions to spend a dollar on the Republican Party for every dollar they spend on the Democrat Party. After all, "fair" is fair, right Senator?
3. 401k The trial balloon that Bagdad Jim (McDermott) and another Congressman from CA has been floating is really new so I'm not sure if you've entertained it very much. But basically, Bagdad Jim wants me to hand over my 401k that Congress will spend (right away) in exchange for a 3% bond, indexed for inflation. The tax advantage my employer gets for matching contributions goes away and so does the tax advantage I get for any gains, even though I've never gotten a tax advantage for any losses I suffer. I take the risk and the pay back for the government comes when I begin making withdrawals in my retirement years. This arrangement has served us well throughout the years and it will serve nobody's interest to destroy that arrangement now.
4. The Debt. I don't believe I've asked very much so far but now I think I might be - I really only want to mention it. For years we've been irresponsible regarding the debt we've rang up. I don't see how that will change under your administration. All of this throwing money at the credit crisis will result in near-trillion dollar deficits for your administration and I'm fully aware that it isn't your fault. All I ask is that you simply try to keep the national debt in mind when you begin spending money on health care, clean energy and "tax relief."

You said you wanted my help. If you decide not to legislate away these simple liberties I've previously enjoyed, I can help you when you'll need it most. The thing is Senator, I'm one of a handful of Americans who realize that you stand absolutely no chance against this economy and I plan on defending you when that realization hits the rest of us. Your Presidency is destined to be deemed a failure, simply because this rotten economy will last 2 or 3 times longer than the normal 12-18 months recessions normally last. Most Americans don't understand the nature of the depth of this one. You and your party will try to blame Bush and my party will blame you and your tax hikes. Neither side will be completely correct but it won't matter. You and your party will lose, not because you'll necessarily deserve it but because the incumbent party has batted zero against recessionary economies throughout history - they've always lost. I will defend you even though no one will listen to me any more than they're listening to me now.

But I will still defend you if you do these 3 simple things for me (I'm not counting the debt since it's not really defined - you know what I mean though). I won't criticize you when you raise taxes on our small businesses; that is, if you still believe it's the right thing to do when your time comes. I will even privately cheer when you accelerate our withdrawal from Iraq, now that the hard and necessary work seems to be nearing completion.

I don't think I'm asking too much and I also believe I'm being completely fair. How about it Senator? Do you really "want to be my President too?"

David Brown

Longmont, Colofornia