I’m not really an expert on American internal politics but the unprecedented rise and rise of Barack Obama has made me a quasi-American [if I could have voted I don’t think Sen. Mc Cain would have gotten my vote-I was totally under the throes of Obama-mania, embarrassingly so].

The biggest piece of news coming out of Washington is the signing into law of the $700 billion plus stimulus package. That itself is not that interesting because I knew it would be passed by all means, fair and foul.

However, what made it quite personally interesting was the fact that, in a legislature that is composed of more than three hundred democratic and republican senators and representatives, only three crossed party lines to vote for the bill.

This in a presidency who’s campaign mantra was "Change you can believe in”. Obviously, the Republicans haven’t fallen as hard for the new occupant of the White House as we all have.

While everyone in the House and Senate understood the need to get the American economy out of its doldrums, it was the nitty-gritty that caused the blood pressure of almost each and every Republican to rise dangerously- the mere fact that welfare benefits would increase while tax cuts weren’t as far cutting as they had wished was enough for them to attempt to halt the bills progression.

Sadly for them , the American people had spoken and what they said was," we don’t trust the Republicans and its time the Democrats had a chance”.  Well, what the Democrats stand for is a bigger government and increased spending.

So, it’s back to the ideological divide for all of them. The Obama dream of genuine ‘bi-partisanship’ is dead in the water at the first serious bill.

The Democrats all voted for en-mass and the Republicans almost all rejected it to the tee. I guess its back to politics as usual…although "Change’ certainly had a nice ring to it.

Contact: sunnyntayombya@newtimes.co.rw