is at it again. Today President Obama spoke to the press about his frustration with the current financial crisis, our downgrading by S and P and our inability to work together to fix our problems. Asserting America's superiority, he ruefully lamented "a lack of political will in Washington" and in his best disappointed parent voice said we can do better.
Having heard this refrain from our President more times than I can possibly count during the past three years, I only have one response - - get over yourself already! There is never going to be the political will in Washington to do all the things you promised in your campaign, and the Republicans are never going to play nice no matter how many pretty, shiny objects you give them. In the immortal words of George Bush the First, "READ MY LIPS - No political will, no nice Republicans".
So would you please stop whining about what isn't and start trying to get a grip on what is? You are a smart, capable, thoughtful man who should be able to figure out that when one approach isn't working, you try something else. In fact, I believe it was you during your campaign who repeatedly pronounced that only a fool would keep doing the same wrong thing and expect different results.
You've been reasonable, you've been conciliatory, you've compromised and you've kept your composure. Not only hasn't it worked, your "can't we all just get along" philosophy has put this country in worse financial peril than ever before. It is long past time for you to stop regretfully bemoaning the lack of civility in Washington and become one of the uncivil. Oh, I don't mean calling names, denigrating birthrights, or questioning love of country and god. That level of incivility is best left to the Republicans. I mean the kind of uncivil that allows you to take a position that is diametrically opposed to the Republican position and then actually sticking to it. I'm talking about defining your own agenda instead of always acting and reacting to the agenda set by the Republicans. In short I'm begging for the kind of uncivil that makes you a leader instead of a negotiator, and I mean this in the most positive way, a piss-poor negotiator at that.
We don't need your sorrowful analysis after each failed policy debacle. We need you to get mad and stand up for yourself. Well, that's not quite right. We need you to get mad and stand up for us.