A Japanese example for Obama

Recent news reports suggest that Obama and his coterie are scrambling to rescue his Presidency from the morass and quagmire it appears to wallow in. Perhaps Mr. Obama can take a lesson from the Japanese lawmaker Ms. Mizuho Fukushima. She has outlined her principled opposition to the presence of U.S. bases in Okinawa, and has stuck to it despite intense pressure. If only Mr. Obama would:

1. Fire the threesome of Bernanke, Summers, and Geithner, and ask them to cough up the money they made with the "easy money" policies that whacked the economy.
2. Order all the Wall Street Banks and the executives to cough up all the profits they made between 2002 and 2009, a part-payment for damaging the fabric of the country
3. Order a serious inquiry into the abuse of U.S. non-immigrant visa policies by U.S. and foreign firms
4. Order all high schools to fail students who do not have acceptable proficiency levels in mathematics and science
5. Restrict profits of insurance companies and force them to sell policies that are easily understandable

Japanese Lawmaker Stands in Opposition - WSJ.com

"U.S.-Japan relations aren't deteriorating because we can't make up our mind about building a new facility in Henoko," Ms. Fukushima said, referring to the rural community selected by the U.S. along with the prior Japanese government for the base. "Rather, what will drive a fissure in the bilateral relations is trying to push through with the plan," she added.

...The deadlock on the Futenma issue has stalled a broader plan to reorganize troops in Okinawa—a move embraced by both countries to reduce political opposition to the U.S. military role in Japan—sending a chill between Washington and Tokyo. Ms. Fukushima and her allies say the plan doesn't go far enough to cut the U.S. military presence among Japan's population.

Ms. Fukushima said her party wants to move the Futenma facilities "completely off Okinawa and outside of Japan," adding that the search for an alternative plan will give the two nations a good opportunity to take stock of their bilateral security alliance.

"We are not opposed to all military bases in Okinawa and we aren't saying all troops should leave right away," said Ms. Fukushima, a human-rights lawyer. "But I believe we should use this opportunity to discuss broader issues, like why there is such a huge concentration of U.S. bases in Okinawa and why, after 64 years since the end of the World War II, there is still such a significant presence of U.S. forces in Japan."

Ms. Fukushima says Okinawa, an island that represents just 0.5% of Japan's land mass but hosts 75% of the land used by U.S. troops, shouldn't be asked to shoulder more of the burden of the military alliance.

Also, the waters off Henoko, the planned home of a V-shaped runway, hold rich natural life, including coral reefs and dugong, a marine animal related to the manatee whose only habitat in Japan is small areas in Okinawa.

"In the past 15 years [since the plan for the new facility was introduced], people's awareness of environmental issues has changed dramatically," says Ms. Fukushima, who is popular among voters for her straight talk and uncompromising policy stance. "If we work hard enough, I think we can gain the understanding of people of America."