At the start of this week I wrote that both Barack Obama and John McCain should have traveled together to Washington to work on the financial bailout legislation. I stated that while political games would be a temptation to play, the nation deserved leadership, and the one that displayed that quality, very well could be the next President.
As I have repeated so often, a day is a lifetime in politics, and this week has produced several such days. No one could have predicted that John McCain would act so rashly when he suspended his campaign, asked for a postponement of not one but two national debates, and interjected himself into the tense talks on the Hill in such a highly political fashion. So much for what I had hoped might be the case back on Monday.
It is most remarkable tonight that House Republicans have pulled out of negotiations on their President’s own bill, and expect Democrats to either take the lead and pass the legislation, or allow the bill to die. The GOP has a set of wishes that are not anywhere in the ballpark for resolving the liquidity problem, or restoring faith in the financial markets. Democrats say that without the Republicans to join them the legislation is just never going to happen as the nation requires a truly bi-partisan approach to this problem. That is coded language of course for the fact that Democrats are not about to take the offense with the bill while catching hell from the opposition. And I fully understand the clear political rationale for that decision. But that leaves us with a sad outcome.
Leadership is missing. Democrats who fail to act on what they know to be best for the nation are no better than those on the Republican side that play political games.
Allen Drury, a writer that too many have forgotten, penned the incredibly readable “Advise And Consent” series starting in the early 1960’s which had a rich and diverse set of characters that ranged from Presidents, members of Congress, ambassadors, and members of the Fourth Estate. International crisis was the heart of the books, but throughout each one there was a theme. Leadership mattered. In some way one of the characters would stand up and prove that the ideals talked about were best understood when they were actually put into practice. The same goes for the situation in Washington right now.
Tonight there is little to be proud of with the process that is supposed to be dealing with the most severe financial crisis facing our nation since the depression. And yet we have one political party that will not talk, and another that is timid about acting on behalf of the nation.
Allen Drury, send us a script to follow from wherever you are!
Technorati Tags: Congress, JohnMcCain, BarackObama, AllenDrury, Books
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
I highly recommend the Advise and Consent series to anyone. Another theme which runs throughout the series is how the media treated those individuals who had parinciples and stood for something rather than those who used buzz words and pandered to the electorate. It is something that is all together too true today. As of January 14, 2009, we have potential cabinet members who did not pay taxes or hired illegal aliens (yes, illegal aliens, not “undocumented workers.” But since they are from the “right side of the fence,” this is merely a small mistake. Imagine how it would be if it were a Republican who failed to pay taxes! Bring out the stocks and put that person in it outside the Capitol Building. Also, don’t criticize the president-elect. Give him a chance. Is that he same chance the media and Democrats gave Pres. Bush in 2000 up to his innauguration? Is it the same “chance” the media gave over the last 8 years? Any criticism of the president elect is just hatred we are told. But how much hatred was spewed forth toward the leader of our country since January 20, 2001? Please, Democrats, have consistency. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If you can’t take it, don’t dish it out.
In regards to the Allen Drury series I agree that they make perfect reading. In 6th grade I read “The Throne Of Saturn” by Drury, and soon found the series that followed “Advise and Consent”. Today on top of one of my book shelves I have the complete 6-volume series in hard-cover as a reminder of some of the best times I have spent with books. The cast of characters were amazing..my favorite was the southern Senator that stages a filabuster and then dies. His name does not ring a bell right now……
By the way this is a list of the possible real people that Drury crafted his characters after. Hope you enjoy.
http://home.earthlink.net/~dbratman/drury.html#2
Tom my man lighten up and enjoy the new life this country has been offered. By the way even Republicans know what you claim is not true.
Several key Finance Committee Republicans have already voiced strong support for Geithner, saying that Obama needs to have his full economic team in place quickly in order to deal with the ongoing financial crisis facing the country.
“I think he’s a very fine man,” said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah). “I’m not one who holds mistakes against people. And, I believe, having chatted with him personally about this, it was an error and a mistake that human beings can make.”
Another Finance Committee member, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), said that the information about Geithner was “troubling and concerning” and that it was “critical” that members of the committee meet with him before his hearing to ask him about it. But, Snowe said, “Based on that review and his answers to our questions, I believe the process should move forward and that these regrettable issues ultimately should not preclude support for his nomination at this time of monumental challenges for our economy.”
Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) joked that Geithner “was just cruising along with the traffic — he may have broken the speed limit, but he wasn’t weaving in and out of lanes, he wasn’t drunk and he wasn’t endangering anybody.”