It’s beyond mind boggling. Barack Obama’s administration has such a habit of saying one thing and doing another that it’s beginning to look like a concerted policy to drive us mad.

Consider. Soon after coming into office, Obama’s big speech about getting the economy back on track sounded great. He talked about poverty and helping those in need. But the most significant action step was bailing out the banks to loosen up credit. That’s nice for businesses, but the biggest plague on American families is debt brought on by not being paid enough. They don’t need credit, they need money.

Not long after that Obama gave a speech about housing. Again, the moving description of families in trouble. 1 million foreclosed homes and a likely 10 million more this year. The action — the administration pledged to make it easier to renegotiate mortgage payments. But even Business Week reports that house prices are likely to fall another 25 percent this year – thousands of Americans owe more than their houses are worth. They don’t need newly creative ways to pay the bad mortgages they have, they need help renegotiating the mortgage entirely. And those who were lied into bad loans, need help taking their brokers to court.

Then it was National Security. Obama talked up what he called America’s timeless ideals – while simultaneously endorsing timeless detention. The rule of law, but also special tribunals. A few problems there.

And then last week, there he was, speaking out against the Defense of Marriage Act while his Justice Department defended it.

And the very next day — announcing his financial regulatory plan — Obama blames the financial crisis on a culture of irresponsibility and then gives the Fed more authority. As one guest on today’s program put it, it’s like awarding the king of irresponsibility with a larger kingdom.

If President Obama wants to get something done he is going to have to, in the words of financial columnist Joe Nocera, "make some bankers mad." Fat chance. Instead, he’s driving the rest of us insane.

The F Word is a regular commentary by Laura Flanders the host of GRITtv which broadcasts weekdays on satellite TV (Dish Network Ch. 9415 Free Speech TV) on cable, public television and online at GRITtv.org and TheNation.com.

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