Here are hopes for more change

The man who campaigned on a slogan of Hope and Change has delivered on half of that promise. To be certain, we've experienced our fair share of change over the past two years.

To paraphrase an old commercial, "Where's the Hope?"

The ardent Obama supporters - and they still remain numerous - see hope where there is little. Yet unable to judge impartially, those supporters will never see anything but good from this administration. To see otherwise would be to admit a flaw in the leader they have clearly elevated to a godlike position.

So let's see just what this new Republican majority in the House and the changes in the Senate can accomplish in the arena of hope.

The first hope is a reduction in spending. At this point, I would be tickled with even a symbolic reduction in the runaway spending being forced by this administration.

The second hope is a close examination of the spending already approved by this administration. If we're committed to spending our way out of debt (interesting concept, isn't it?) then at least the American public deserves some honest, detailed accounting of that spending.

While we're talking of spending, let's be honest with the approach on where those tax dollars originate. Comparing government with the business community is often an unfair comparison. Yet there are some overall principles that still apply.

For example, in the newspaper business, we would be foolish to charge our largest advertisers an exorbitant ad rate so that the smaller advertisers could run an ad in the newspaper for free. It just doesn't make sense on any level.

By the same token, it makes little sense for the federal government to soak the producers to prop up the non-producers.

Granted the example is an apples and oranges comparison but common sense and logic points to the outcome.

Those over-the-top Obama supporters are like a rabid sports fan whose team is headed in a downward spiral. The diehard fans still can see a ray of hope even in a dismal defeat. They ignore the bigger picture and proudly wear their team's shirt to display their unending support.

Just remember, when a sports team fails, it's usually the coach who gets the ax.