A long time ago during the Carter er of soaring interest rates and stagflation, the President opined that future generations of Americans might no have enjoy a continuing higher standard of living than their parents.

I attended Jewish High Holy Days services which ended Monday night. On Rosh Hashana (New Year) we recite a prayer, the "U'netaneh Tokef" In part, the prayer states that God's decree as to who will live and who will die (amongst a list of decrees) is written (in the book of life) on Rosh Hashana and (the decree) is sealed on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement.

While I normally try to keep politics out of religion, I could not help but paraphrase the prayer in considering the future of America...By Jimmy Carter It Was Written; By Barack Obama It Is Sealed.

The prayer also offers the hope that this decree may be altered during the 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur through introspection and atonement. One hopes the American decree can be altered by the President and the Democratic congress coming to their senses in dealing with the country's problems, real and perceived.