Today, Saturday, April 9, 2011, I caught part of a video clip of President Obama who, I think, was on the National Mall speaking to visitors to D.C.
I thought I heard the President say: "Because Congress was able to settle their differences," the museums and monuments are open. I know he said what I've put in quotes. I think the rest was the essence of his statement.
BECAUSE OF CONGRESS SETTLING ITS DIFFERENCES???? That's how Obama sees this recent dispute over the budget, or wants to portray it? Sheesh.
And where the heck was the White House in all this? Sitting on the sidelines? Obviously not. Obama, Biden and others at the White House were obviously key players in this drama. But, sadly, Obama's comment reflects the way he wants to be seen, the way he wants to portray himself -- above the fray, almost a non-partisan.
No doubt Obama is trying to move to the center for 2012 and not appear opposed to major trimming of America's deficit and debt. And that may be good policy and make political sense for him. But only so far.
As I recall, after Gingrich and the Republicans took control of both houses of Congress in the 1990's, some called President Bill Clinton irrelevant. Clinton would have nothing of that and knew how to assert himself and remain relevant, winning a second term in the process.
Obama is not irrelevant. The Republicans handily won the House in 2010 but neither control the Senate nor the White House. And while many Americans worry about the deficit and national debt and the Tea Party has shown some ability to whip up concern over those issues, there is much to be said about not panicking on either of these two issues, nor rushing to radically reduce the budget when the economy has yet to find its way out of the Great Recession. Obama may have made the right decision during the lame duck session of Congress last year in caving on opposition to a continuation of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy but he will weaken himself, even if he wins re-election, if he flip flops all across the spectrum, which is what he appears to be doing.
Yes, Obama needs the House of Representatives to pass legislation, including a budget, so compromise is necessary. But Obama should nonetheless use the bully pulpit to continue to try to educate the American people on the role of and need for a strong federal governmental presence. We are no longer an agrarian society; we are a highly urbanized society with an economy that is not only fully integrated across this nation but with much of the world as well. We need a central government that can regulate economic swings, protect Americans against the excesses of private entrepreneurs and enterprises, stimulate economic growth and trade, assure minimum standards of healthcare and education, and perform many other tasks, in addition to defense.
Obama should also not throw in the towel on increased taxes to balance the budget and assure certain "entitlements", particularly now that the Republicans are finally showing their fangs when it comes to attacking Medicare, with Social Security likely to be next. Reform of these programs? Yes. The kind of radical restructuring and privatization that Republicans seem to favor? Absolutely not.
Obama is not irrelevant but sometimes it appears he wants to make himself so. During the 2008 campaign Obama spoke of presidential styles and he definitely seemed to favor Reagan's, which Obama himself described as essentially above the fray, letting others fight over the details only to emerge near the end. This has been Obama's style, with respect to fights over the stimulus package, healthcare reform, and now the 2011 budget. He and his aides have been involved in all of these battles but he himself has let others take central stage. In my judgment this was and continues to be a big mistake for him.
Obama has been an eloquent speaker and communicator when in campaign mode, whether during the campaign or as president. But in his daily talks and press conferences he has come across as dry, distant and without affect. He came across that way during some of the debates during the 2008 campaign as well. He needs to go into what I'll call campaign mode more often. He needs to show passion and not get caught speaking in a dry, distant tone, carefully selecting his words as if he were lecturing somewhere. He needs to show he cares and that, while open to necessary compromise, he still has his own set of values and will pursue and fight for them. It's okay to compromise and even stand aside on some campaign promises that simply aren't achievable. But if he bends on almost everything and comes across as dry and drab in a move toward the center, he will not only not be a good president, but he will, in my judgment, undermine his chances of re-election. And even were he not to win re-election, he will have been true to himself and to all those who voted for him.
