I sat through the Sunday morning news show listening to pundits, including his supporters, ask why Mr. Obama is so calm and collected through this oil spill crisis. Many writers for the news magazines and press have joined in this week wondering why Obama is not angry, why he is not enraged by the mistakes and cupidy of oil executives who are now handing out bonuses and minimizing the outcome of this tragic spill. Perhaps seeing the pelicans saturated with oil and unable to move or fly added to our communal wonderment: How can Mr. Obama let these guys get away with destroying our coastal beauty and not be yelling “I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take it anymore!!” We are in a sense asking that our chief executive embody our pain-be as mad and act out that anger in a tangible way. To stand up to BP, the corporations that have run rough shod through Wall Street, outrageous bonuses for guys who can’t seem to make it on a measly few millions a year and to help all of us vent our rage at these outcomes that we can’t personally control. Who is going to make it right? Who will stand up for us when the chips are down and these bullies need to have their noses bloodied or worse. Even Helen Thomas is angry and for some bizarre reason self-destructively took out her anger on Israel—who has been taking out its anger on those trying to supply Gaza. And then there are our friends in the Tea Party movement-mad at “big government”, mad at liberals, mad at bail outs, just plain mad and coming together to disgorge their rage in ways that have had an extraordinary impact on campaigns that may be a bell-weather and harbinger of doom for all incumbents in the fall elections.

There is a lot of anger out there and perhaps we need our president to be the big guy on the block and tell off everyone we resent. We need him to draw a line in the sand-this will end: greed, ripping off the regular guy at every turn, self-interest that takes advantage of the weakest of us, that plunders the environment and then blames everyone else when a disaster occurs (but has time to distribute a billion in bonuses!). Yes, we are really furious and frustrated and feel impotent and need an avenger-our own super hero to shout out:” WE ARE OUTRAGED!” and “NO MAS!”-no more will we tolerate selfish and greedy fat cats taking all they can get while the rest of us stand impotently by, reading about it every day or yelling at the TV and not knowing where to vent our anger. So Mr. Obama, get out there and yell out our collective pain, fear and anger. Sure, you’re a nice guy and very cerebral. You like to think things out and make the most deliberate and rational decision. But that’s not good enough for us right now. We want emotion. We want action. We want it now! And when you are criticized by your opponents next week for being irrational and impulsive at a time when we need calm, focus—oh well, at least you will have given us the catharsis that we all need and maybe we can forgive you for being a little more like us. God Speed!