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Is the wrong Obama in the Oval Office

March 19, 2010

The Health Care Reform Bill will be put to the test (probably this weekend), and the Democratic majority in the House is expected to pass President Obama's proposal. In an effort to please everyone, the 2000 plus page bill pleases no one. Americans are worried about the cost of health care and how they will be expected to pay for it, the President has been distracting from working on the economy and creating jobs, and his ratings have fallen.

Meanwhile, First Lady Michelle Obama has successfully rallied Americans to fight obesity in children with her Let's Move campaign, and her ratings are going through the roof. This week, PepsiCo announced it plans to voluntarily remove high-calorie sweetened drinks from schools for kids up to age 18 in more than 200 countries by 2012. The day after Michelle Obama asked members of the Grocery Manufacturers Association to supply supermarkets with healthier options, Kraft Foods announced it will reduce sodium by an average of 10 percent across its portfolio and even more in foods targeted to kids. Legislation is underway in many states to tax "junk" food and beverages, and Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark) proposed legislation that would allow the Agriculture Department to set nutrition standards for all food sold at schools -- taking "local policies" into account -- meaning it could ban junk food.

Okay, I'm kidding about who should sit in the Oval Office. It doesn't follow that these changes are the direct result of Mrs. Obama's campaign; kids' wellness is on the front burner anyway, but she surely is a savvy politician. Perhaps she should take on the banks and credit card fees next.