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Jeb Bush, the former Governor of Florida says President Barack Obama is one of the most liberal presidents in modern times. He also said that he pursues an agenda that mainstream America has not seen so far. The talk among other Republicans of course is all about the President’s socialist agenda.

According to prominent left wingers and liberal bloggers, the President is a traitor who has failed miserably in keeping his commitments to the campaign. They also accuse him of selling out to please the corporate.

These anti sentiments are also echoed by Howard Dean, the ex-presidential candidate and former chairman of the Democratic Party.

Is ideology the right way of evaluating the presidency of Obama? Irrespective of whether we agree with his policies, style of governing and priorities or not, President Obama is definitely an idealist with a highly progressive view and he is definitely also a liberal ever willing to compromise in order to achieve.

As we analyze the criticisms aimed at the President from the left and right on almost every major and significant issue, their shallowness is evident in the last 14 months. The health care bill surely does not establish a health system run by the government and it is not socialism either.

The private insurance and employer provided system is definitely left intact, only more streamlined. The bill assures a slight increase in the number of people who will benefit from insurance provided by the government.

Next year will see programs such as veterans, military, Medicaid and Medicare benefits, through which at least fifty percent of American healthcare will be taken care of by the government.
Last year’s stimulus package similarly was lauded by the conservatives to be a deficit busting strategy.

Arizona Senator John McCain and other critics feel that there could have been efforts by the President for a bit of a compromise with Republicans and settled for a package that is just half of the allotted $787 billion. If the President had done that, today there will be double the increase in the number of jobless today. 

According to McCain’s economic advisor at the 2008 presidential campaign Mark Zandi, today the economy would be worse if the stimulus had been halved. With various powerful initiatives including the stimulus package, there has been a great increase in Federal spending on higher education.

For implementation of education programs in the year 2011, the president has asked for a 7.5% higher allocation which amounts to about $49.7 billion. This will include the highest increase ever for $3 billion for K-12 education.

As we saw, recently banks were forced out of student-loan process. Students are given easier access to Pell grants through the March 25th financial aid overhaul passed by the Congress.
President Obama evidently feels that both elementary and secondary education must be given equal priority and both money and reform must go into their revamping efforts.

His Race to the Top program is all set to reward performing schools and teachers and punish failing ones. This again has resulted in stiff opposition from certain teachers unions that have hitherto backed the President vociferously.

It is time every American considered the overall well being of our education system before criticizing every effort by the President to progress in the right path.