Dear Barry

My fellow Americans,

Today I unveil a new feature I like to call "Dear Barry", where I will answer mortal readers' questions. Ordinarily, a salutation such as "Dear Barry" is not sufficiently reverent for deity, but I find your human colloquialisms oddly endearing, so I'll allow it.

Our first question comes from Nancy P. of California. Nancy writes:

"Dear Barry,

I have this friend. She's a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She's heard you say you're all about change and hope and reform, but that kind of worries her because, well, congresswomen really aren't into that. She's pretty sure with solid democratic majorities in the House and Senate (filibuster-proof!) the democrats will be able to pass bills that shamelessly pander to traditional liberal special interests. She's got five or six of them ready to go. Anyway, you wouldn't, you know, stand in the way of that, would you?

Nancy P."

Dear Nancy,

Please tell your friend not to worry. I'm going to let the House and Senate Democratic leaders have their way with this country. Naturally, in my omniscience, I understand that congress would never permit change on the scale I propose. So the government will grow without bound, and, through congress, special interests, lawyers, and lobbyists will feed more voraciously than ever on delicious pork. Or as I call it, Hope.

Your Deus ex Machina,

Barry