An Open Letter to the President

Three snow storms have now dumped 55 inches on Washington D.C. in recent days -- an inconvenient truth for Al Gore -- paralyzing a government whose numerous "no work" days include the President's Day congressional recess coming next week. So what's a president to do during a lull that gives his opponents more time for pot shots at his stalled domestic policy centerpiece -- healthcare reform? Call for a “bipartisan” summit of ideas, of course.

And that's what Obama did during the multi-hour run-up to last Sunday's Super Bowl Game. Somehow among the endless interviews with football greats and game day experts, the WH managed to insert a Katie Couric interview of the president, who said when the President's Day recess was over he was calling for a summit in which he would invite Republicans to palaver with Democrats, giving them an opportunity to introduce their ideas about healthcare reform. He will ask them "What do you guys have?" Huh? The same guys who were excluded from the process of closed door and late night meetings are now being asked to put forward their ideas -- I assume the same ones that have filled the news hole since Obama became president?.

Predictably, those from the right and even the center are calling this a stunt. How could the president not know where his opposition or the public stood on healthcare? It's dangerous and unfair to impute motives to a person's actions (consequences are far more defensible) but what could the president be thinking in calling for a summit of ideas? Could he (or his advisors) have been thinking about his declining poll numbers, which this week fell to a stunning 47% approval rating -- with less than a percentage point spread separating his disapproval rating? Or could he be thinking about the CNN/Opinion Research poll showing that Americans don't like the healthcare bills that have passed the House and Senate by a 20-point margin -- 58% to 38%? Or the Gallup poll showing that 60% of Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the issue? Or the polls showing that the Democrats could lose six or more Senate seats and most of their House majority in the mid-term elections? Or the intractable unemployment figures? Or the depressing housing foreclosures that were released this week?

The president hasn’t asked me to attend the summit or phoned for my advice. But I’ll give it to him anyway.

Mr. President, you’ve made at least three bone-headed mistakes since you moved into the White House, and now you’re paying for them.

First, you brought almost your entire campaign staff into your administration as advisors, cabinet members, and bureaucrats. Bad idea. Clinton did the same thing and learned that what makes a good campaigner makes a lousy governance advisor. When George Stephanopoulos high-fived him on national TV after a press announcement, Clinton knew it was time to replace his campaign buddies with experts – even if he didn’t like them (Think Warren Christopher). Carter, by contrast, held on to his coterie of sycophants and they helped sink him. You’re in danger of becoming a caricature of Carter. The campaign is over. Stop campaigning. And get rid of that crowd from Chicagoland.

Second, what in the world were you thinking when you turned over your major domestic agenda to the likes of Nancy Pelosi? Letting her shape the healthcare and energy bills essentially installed her as your Prime Minister. She is one aggressive woman – and I’m being polite. Pelosi was here before you showed up as a shave-tail Senator and she will likely be here long after you’re a bad memory. She’s may be as far left as you are but the difference is her electorate is too. Yours isn’t. You had better get the car keys away from the Valley Girl or else she is going to drive your aspirations to be a two-term president over the cliff.

Third, your penchant for “big fix” solutions defies understanding. Is it the inexperience that you and the Chicago gang bring to the federal lawmaking process, or your extraordinary ego, or both that causes you to believe you have to change the world in the first half of your presidency? Good
grief, man, you started with at least four years – enough time to make your mark in history. Maybe you’ll get eight. Why the rush? You don’t know or don’t care about the lessons of American political history. Even the great Henry Clay couldn’t get the Compromise of 1850 through in one bill. What made you think you could get cap and trade and healthcare through in comprehensive bills? Your “take it or leave it” approach to lawmaking has severely damaged your chances for bipartisanship. Now you have to resort to this opera bouffe called a summit of ideas to play-act bipartisanship. Have you noticed that even the moderates of your own party are deserting you?

Your failures reflect an ignorance of political leadership. Maybe you should have stayed in the Senate a few more years before taking off the training wheels, but you can take this to the bank: this country can only be led when there is a broad coalition supporting its leaders. You don’t have it. And right now, you act like to don’t get it. Letting Pelosi lead this country left assured that you’d lose the apolitical middle that you carried in order to get elected. No eloquent speeches are going to solve your problems right now. And your SOTU confession of culpability for not adequately explaining your reforms to the American people was laughable. The problem is that they do understand what you’re trying to do – and they don’t like it.

Keep in mind that your majority in both legislative chambers consists of members whose constituents were carried by John McCain in 2008. That ought to keep you awake at night.

Start governing. So far you haven’t.