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When the Obama Administration took office; it claimed to have assumed national leadership with a mandate for change. Congressional leaders said, "we won -- get used to it." Within the families of many veterans and retired military personnel this is not translating into any change they view as acceptable. In a sampling of this group requested from across the country no positive responses were received.

"I really believe Obama will give us change," says Arnold Fisher an Iraq war veteran from Oklahoma City. "In fact, when he finishes up stacking all of his planned new taxes on top of us, all we will have left is the 'change' in our pockets."

"Any housewife knows that if her checkbook shows $100 she can't go buy $110 worth of groceries", responds veteran Eric Muth of Milford, CT. "Our new government leadership should send its people back to grade school to pick up some of those things they should have learned early on. Maybe before they implement any more financial initatives, they should talk to their mothers about how people manage to balance their checkbooks."

Barbara Smith the widow of a veteran who lives in San Benito, Texas is a bit more charitable with her words. "Our government and this nation are on a slippery slope to hell. If you look around you find corruption, greed, moral decay and a steady move away from all the things that made us great. I am convinced we must pray for our nation and its leaders and ask forgiveness for all the wrongs they are committing."

Howard Watson writes, "As a retired member of the United States military I do believe that most of the members of Congress could benefit from a course that we used in Leadership Principles and Traits. Now a retired psychologist, I see sick people who can benefit from various types of treatment, but I would be too gracious if I referred to these people as 'sick'. These people in Congress are lacking courage, responsibility, integrity and ALL the principles of leadership."

In past commentary our Congress has been contrasted with those who serve in the armed forces. Retiree Kevin Healey took exception to that comparison saying," Comparing Congress to the military is akin to comparing the 'Band of Brothers' to 'A Band of Thieves'. The only hope we have is term limits for members of Congress and the 'Band of Thieves' will never impose limits of any kind upon themselves. The reality is we are stuck with most of these bastards until they die or go to jail."

In speaking about the Obama Administration and who they will help or hurt Rick Redman of New York reflects, "I guess that means us folks that have to live on $12K a year are really going to take it in the shorts. Do I hear the clatter of revolution in the distance?"

Veteran Michael Scott, writing from Glendora, CA seems to feel a lot of the unemployment problems would be solved if the Administration just obeyed existing laws. "Wouldn't it be in our nation's interest, with a jobless rate at 7.6% (now 8.1%) nationally and 10.2% here in California, if all 554,000 illegal immigrants with outstanding deportation orders would be deported and their jobs then filled by unskilled and unemployed Americans."

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