A WHITE HOUSE COMPETENCE PROBLEM? - AT 9:23 A.M. ET:  Sharp-eyed observer Michael Goodwin, of the New York Daily News, wonders whether incompetence has now begun to weigh down the Obama White House:

Yes, it's early, but an eerily familiar feeling is spreading across party lines and seeping into the national conversation. It's a nagging doubt about the competency of the White House...

...Polls show that most people like Obama, but they increasingly don't like his policies. The vast spending hikes and plans for more are provoking the most concern, with 82% telling a Gallup survey they are worried about the deficit and 69% worried about the rapid growth of government under Obama. Most expect their own taxes will go up as a result, despite the President's promises to the contrary.

The doubts are extending to the president himself:

His famous eloquence is wearing thin through daily exposure and because his actions are often disconnected from his words. His lack of administrative experience is showing.

His promises and policies contradict each other often enough that evidence of hypocrisy is ceasing to be news. Remember the pledges about bipartisanship and high ethics? They're so last year...

...And in an absolute jaw-dropper, he told business leaders, "I don't like the idea of spending more government money, nor am I interested in expanding government's role."

No wonder Americans are confused. Our President is, too.

COMMENT:  An excellent piece, an indictment really, of the first months of the Obama presidency.  They've got to get things straight in the White House, or sink.

March 16, 2009