Cowardice!
In the first two years of
the Obama administration, with full control of the House, Senate and White
House, the Democrats chose not to pass a budget because it would negatively impact close mid-term elections. As a result, six years later, we still do not
have a budget. We are operating on a
series of patchwork amendments with no budgetary goal or direction. Now the President is postponing his
immigration reform because—wait for it—it
may impact close mid-term elections.
If the reforms (budget, appointments, legislation...insert any proper function of elected officials) are so right, so
good, so advantageous how could they possibly cost anyone their seat? We are constantly told that these are popular
decisions, opposed only by a vocal minority.
How can that work against you?
The
self-serving cowardice of this administration never ceases to amaze me.
On
October 16, 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt invited his advisor, Booker T.
Washington, to dine with both him and his family at the White House. It was the first time an African American had
received such an invitation. Roosevelt was roundly and loudly condemned in the worst
possible language. TR did not take this
courageous action when he though he was comfortably in control of the vast and
entire political horizon. Quite to the
contrary.
William
McKinley, a wildly popular President, had died of a gun shot wound on September
14, 1901. Roosevelt, who had been
nominated Vice President mostly to get the aggressive and character driven
Teddy R. out of the way of corrupt New
York
There
are other acts of deliberate bravery by other Presidents. Lyndon Johnson bulldozed the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 through Congress, and followed it up by appointing the first African
American to his Cabinet. Tough action
for a Southern Texan.
In
1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed Francis Perkins to the position of
Secretary of Labor, the first female member of the Cabinet. Again, Roosevelt (who had plenty of troubles
of his own) faced massive criticism.
Gerald
Ford pardoned President Richard Nixon, and knew full well that he was
destroying his chances for reelection.
With the healing effects of time, even those who hated Nixon with a
passion and wanted him found guilty of everything save incest, have come to
admit that Ford’s pardon was the only thing that allowed the President and the
country to move on with the business of actually governing. To do the right thing, and know the cost to
oneself, and still do the right thing is both brave and honorable.
JFK
promised to land a man on the moon before we had the technology to do it. Reagan told the Soviets to take down the
Berlin Wall. Even that idiot, Jimmy
Carter, knew he would take a serious rash of crap for his totally incorrect
decision to boycott the 1980 Olympics, but he still did it because of
principle.
But
not this President—not this Democratic Party—not even the media minions who
worship both. Because of there decisions
we have no budget, no immigration policy, no clear strategy, no leadership, no
direction, and certainly no hope for any of the above. This is what you get when you elect people
who want the title but not the job.
Be
courageous and keep the faith.
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