As Lame as a Fox

Barack Obama and the Democratic majority House in its last few days not only passed a substantial Tax break plan (that will dramatically increase not only economic growth, but perhaps more importantly the perception of impending economic growth), but also got through some other, very substantial legislation during one of the most athletic "lame duck" sessions in history. Among the other initiatives are:

•A repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military, which Obama signed Wednesday. Military leaders will need months to implement it.

•A $4.2 billion measure that will benefit rescue workers who toiled at the World Trade Center in the weeks after the 9/11 attacks. It offers health assistance for those sickened by dust and debris. Congress passed the bill Wednesday after trimming its cost from $6.2 billion.

•A sweeping rewrite of the nation's food-safety laws that will give the Food and Drug Administration more power to inspect food production facilities and issue mandatory recalls of tainted products. After a phase-in period, high-risk food facilities will be inspected every three years.

•A $4.5 billion child nutrition plan that will expand the school lunch program and allow the government to set new standards for school meals, including in vending machines. The measure, championed by first lady Michelle Obama, would increase by 115,000 the number of low-income students who qualify for free or discounted meals.

It does make you wonder why all of this had to wait until after the mid-term elections especially when public opinion on these laws are very favorable. However, public impression of President Obama has seemed to improve and it would not be surprising for his public opinion ratings to move north of 50% and stay there for the remainder of his term. It is nearly impossible to defeat a sitting president with those ratings, so these legislative victories may have some additional long-term effects.