Anybody disappointed with Washington lately? Gov. Mitt Romney had some inspiring words during an interview yesterday when asked about some of President Obama’s positions and class warfare inclinations. The answer is compelling especially given today’s context of another failed congressional committee. Here is his response (emphasis is mine):
“Look, we have, as a nation, an extraordinary opportunity ahead of us. We have a new century. This can be and must be an American century. The only way that happens is if we pull together as a people. I know there are people who want to divide American and think that somehow that will help their campaign prospects. You can’t divide America. We have to come together. All the streets are connected in America. We’ve got to encourage Main Street and Wall Street and the suburban streets and the urban streets. We’ve got to come together as a people. When President Obama was candidate Obama, he campaigned with a message of unity and change. He just hasn’t delivered. He’s done the exact opposite of what he promised in the campaign, and the American people want to see a leader who is not in this race for himself, but is in this race for America, and can bring us together, can work across the aisle to get America on the solid economic foundation it needs, that can turn this into the job creating machine we’ve always been, and can make it good to be middle class in America again.”
This statement demonstrates why Gov. Romney should be our next President. Unlike out current President who takes the side of one group of Americans versus another, Gov. Romney understands that if elected he will be the President of the United States, and not a leader that pits one group of Americans against another. As Mitt said so pointedly, “all streets are connected in America.” I can’t agree more. This recent failure of the congressional supercommittee is certainly a failure of congress to come together and put country ahead of self, but it also points to the tone that was set in Washington in 2009. We do need to come together, but that is a campaign promise that President Obama made but has failed to deliver. The President is uniquely positioned to set the tone, be involved, and take responsibility for the course Washington takes. An article over at Investors.com explains this well (emphasis is mine):
“Where has Obama been during this fiscal crunch time [super-committee deadline]?
He hasn’t been on the sidelines again. He’s been completely out of the country. He absolutely had to be in Cannes for the Group of 29.5 or whatever it’s called this month because, you know, the Euro crisis. And, then he was hosting another group of leaders in Hawaii with Michelle. And then, of course, there was the Australia trip…
Remember back in 2007-08 the inexperienced ex-state senator, who’d been in Washington all of 24 months, was going to fix the place up with Hope and Change? He was going to bring feuding folks together because this is America and we are better than this…
It took about 72 hours for newly-disputed president George W. Bush to have senior Democrat Ted Kennedy over for coffee in 2001 and the first of many what-can-we-agree-on conversations. It took Obama more than 500 days to have Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell over...
Here’s the deal: Barack Obama was elected president of all 57 states. Not king. Not legislator-in-chief, maneuvering to make the other side look as bad as possible while minimally soiling his own hands. President means he’s supposed to be chief executive, as in chief of executing things, getting stuff done…
A real President Obama could be so much more, actually in charge of D.C. like he promised. Get those numbskulls from both sides together in that Roosevelt Room and tell them what they were gonna do to reach agreement or he was going outside to describe to the American people the kind of petty politics they all cling to.
He rolled his shirtsleeves up to get Obamacare passed because he wanted it. But now…..
True, such an assertive mediation strategy would require leadership, something we’ve never seen from this guy. He’s great at jogging onstage after a fawning intro to give a telepromptered speech. And he’s gotten really good too at blaming others for anything, everything.
The trouble with leadership is it takes courage and might just work. Which he knows. Imagine if this guy actually had the will and skill to broker an historic deal, to drive a bargain, with both sides genuinely giving something. It would help Americans get back to having faith in D.C. leaders again…
Obama is actually running against his own ineffectiveness. At least now we know why he wants no part of a genuine deal this year, why tumult and anger and finger-pointing are so much more preferable/profitable for him to impose on the political landscape for the next 350 days.
The full article is available here.
Image credit - Lisa 2010
When the President had super majorities in congress in the midst of economic despair, instead of deciding to bring everyone together of all political persuasions to get to work fixing the economy and creating jobs in a bipartisan fashion, we saw Obamacare forced through a deeply partisan and sneaky process without a real vote. The President and many of his followers completely shut republicans, independents and democrats opposed to his health care bill out of the legislative process, all the while ignoring the will of the people who in majority were opposed. Hardly the kind of “coming together” that we envisioned from an Obama presidency.
Gov. Romney signs Mass. health care reform. Photo credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola
Contrast that with the way that Mitt Romney led his state as Governor. He, a Republican Governor in a very liberal state with an overwhelmingly democratic-controlled legislature, was able to bring everyone together to repair the state’s nearly $3 billion deficit and passed a health care reform bill (with an actual vote, fancy that) with only two dissenting votes! His effectiveness as a leader who could bring people together erased the state’s $3 billion deficit and created a surplus rainy-day fund, and his health care bill helped many uninsured Massachusetts voters get access to private sector health care while removing the burden they were creating on other taxpayers by showing up to hospitals without insurance.
So in 2012 we have a contrasted choice. We either re-elect President Obama, a man who seeks to divide America and shut Republicans, Independents and even Democrats of his own party out of the political process when they disagree with him, or we can elect a new President, Mitt Romney, who has the proven experience in leading government effectively, even when his party was a tiny minority in the legislature. Let’s pick the guy that believes all streets are connected in America.
Michigan for Mitt Romney 