I was listening to John Kerry being interviewed on the radio today and steam started coming out of my ears. I screamed futilely at the host, "Do something! Don't let him get away with that!"
I thought back to Miss Todd, my high school Government teacher, who would have given an "F" to both of them.
What I wanted the host to say, after John Kerry had described his health care plan:
Sounds like a reasonable program, Senator Kerry.
As you know, the United States Constitution gives different powers and responsibilities to different branches of government. So you know know that it is not in the power of a President to implement plans such as you propose. But it is in the power of the Legislature.
Yes, we know all about the "bully pulpit" of the White House. But you do not have to be in the White House to propose legislation or guide it through the process. Anyone in Congress can do that. So exactly when did you introduce a bill in the Senate that would implement this plan your describe? If not, what are you waiting for? A Democratic majority, perhaps? Voting for you in the Democratic Primary does not automatically create that majority, any more than voting for any other Democratic candidate.
From your time in the Senate you are aware that by the time a bill gets to the President it may not look exactly like it did when it was introduced. In fact, the amount of change introduced in the negotiating process can introduce more variaion than the differences between the current health care proposals of the all the Democratic candidates, wouldn't you say? Isn't quibbling over such minutae during the Primary a bit premature?
I am sure any Democratic President would be glad to sign the bill implementing this plan should it cross his or her desk. Yet you make it sound like only you would do it. Isn't that disingenuous?.
So let me ask you a question directly related to the powers of the Presidency: in your first 30 days in office are there any Executive Orders signed by Mr. Bush that you would not immediately rescind?
This is not anything specific to John Kerry; they all do it, and the press lets them get away with it.