As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama called for “change.”

He is a smart, gifted speaker and charmed his audiences with pledges and promises of what he would do and accomplish if elected. Most of these pledges and promises were extremely vague, but the public bought it and he was swept into office.

Now there is reason to wonder whether voters had any idea of what the “changes” would be. It is obvious members of the U.S. Congress have not taken the time or made the effort to understand anything about the changes Obama proposed and they have voted to approve. Now this country and its citizens face the largest debt in this nation’s history. Obama’s spending plans, his budget, is the largest in mankind’s history.

This being the case, it would seem our lawmakers would have made sure to know all details of the massive plan, but they did not. None of them, elected to take care of and represent their constituents, read the budget proposal. Those who voted to approve it blindly marched in lockstep to whatever their chief ordered. And, he isn’t through. Obama is prepared to increase federal spending and national debt into the trillions.

Obama pledges to go over any budget proposal line-by-line to eliminate any waste, earmarks, pet projects or pork. However, Congress now is debating the merits of a $410 billion bill that contains many such earmarks and pet projects, and both Obama and his loyal Democratic followers in Congress say this budget matter is left over from the Bush administration and they don’t intend to do anything about it.

A perfect example of talking out of both sides of their mouths and another example of trying to place as much blame as possible on the Bush administration. Waste is waste whoever makes up a budget, and Congress has the opportunity to make major savings by carving the pork out of the bill currently under consideration.

Talk about government and big government, Obama has ushered in huge government. A government that is going to take over, or control through investments, our housing, banking, automobile, education, energy and health care businesses. Personal freedoms and public choices will be curtailed.

There’s no question but that his “change” calls for socialism and nationalism, a dismantling of America’s free enterprise and capitalistic system.

Obama is governing by edict although he campaigned on a theme of transparency and openness. With control of both the House and Senate, he has, and will, be able to get most everything he wants — unless some in Congress grow some backbone. He blames any challenges he faces on the past eight years of the Bush administration and he doesn’t hesitate to ignite the dangerous flames of class against class.

He is a smooth talker, he is dangerously arrogant and/or self-assured and, at this time, he probably is behaving in the most powerful manner of any modern president. It is estimated 50 to 60 percent of Americans do not pay income taxes and he intends to “take from the rich” and redistribute the nation’s wealth.

In his latest radio address he dared anyone, or any lobbyist, to challenge him. He intends to call for as many changes as he can, as fast as he can — using the current public fear and panic about the economy and loss of jobs — before his charm and smooth talk starts to fade and citizens wake up to what he has engineered with the help of a blind, gutless Congress.

Part of the blame should be directed at the media as it too has been seduced by his rhetoric along with their distaste of former President Bush. They bought the Obama pitch hook, line and sinker.

Who knows what Obama’s “change,” “stimulus” and social agenda is going to reap? How long will he continue his remake of America and how long will it be before those in Congress and/or the public say, “Stop! You’ve severely damaged the country and future generations.”?