Lines in the sand. Win/lose elections. Win the battle for the lead in the story. Point a finger. Who’s to blame?
Those are the big questions of the day in D.C. Not how to solve the logjam over the budget and the debt ceiling. Well, let’s take it as a straight political problem. On one hand, you have House Republicans saying, this is our budget and
you have to get rid of Obamacare to get it. On other hand, the Democrats in the Senate say, “dead on arrival.” So does the White House.
Here’s where we want to see Tip O’Neill enter stage left and Bob Dole enter stage right. Their ilk tried to do what's best for the country. But Mr. O’Neill is gone. And Mr. Dole is 90 years old and even though in the Senate that qualifies you for a leadership post, he probably isn’t going to help.
What would I do? If I were the president, I’d call John Boehner and say, “Come down to the White House. Don’t tell anyone. We’ll meet. You and me. Alone. We are two of the brightest political minds in the country. We can figure out a way out of this mess.” And then do it. It is a political problem, not a budget problem.
Naïve? Maybe. But I’ve never been accused of being the “glass-half-full-guy.”Ask anyone. But I get into discussion with co-workers and friends and we hit a wall. We can’t agree. Why? Because it gets into this:
"Boehner has no guts.”
“Oh yea, well Obama shows no leadership.”
“Oh yea, well, the President made a Grand Bargain with Boehner and he reneged.”
“Oh yea, well, the Democrats screwed Reagan on this three decades ago.”
People, really? That’s what political discourse has devolved into in this country? Break the logjam. Take a stand. Lead. Don't follow.
Those are the big questions of the day in D.C. Not how to solve the logjam over the budget and the debt ceiling. Well, let’s take it as a straight political problem. On one hand, you have House Republicans saying, this is our budget and
you have to get rid of Obamacare to get it. On other hand, the Democrats in the Senate say, “dead on arrival.” So does the White House.
Here’s where we want to see Tip O’Neill enter stage left and Bob Dole enter stage right. Their ilk tried to do what's best for the country. But Mr. O’Neill is gone. And Mr. Dole is 90 years old and even though in the Senate that qualifies you for a leadership post, he probably isn’t going to help.
What would I do? If I were the president, I’d call John Boehner and say, “Come down to the White House. Don’t tell anyone. We’ll meet. You and me. Alone. We are two of the brightest political minds in the country. We can figure out a way out of this mess.” And then do it. It is a political problem, not a budget problem.
Naïve? Maybe. But I’ve never been accused of being the “glass-half-full-guy.”Ask anyone. But I get into discussion with co-workers and friends and we hit a wall. We can’t agree. Why? Because it gets into this:
"Boehner has no guts.”
“Oh yea, well Obama shows no leadership.”
“Oh yea, well, the President made a Grand Bargain with Boehner and he reneged.”
“Oh yea, well, the Democrats screwed Reagan on this three decades ago.”
People, really? That’s what political discourse has devolved into in this country? Break the logjam. Take a stand. Lead. Don't follow.
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