The NYTimes’ Maureen Dowd says it all in her fine piece today:
“President Obama is so wrapped up in his desire to be a different, more conciliatory, beer-summit kind of leader, he ignores some verities.
“Sometimes, when you’ve got the mojo, you have to keep your foot on your opponent’s neck. When you’re trying to get a Sisyphean agenda passed, it’s good if people in the way — including rebellious elements in your own party — fear you.
“Civil discourse is fine, but when the other side is fighting dirty, you should get angry. Don’t let the bully kick sand in your face. The White House should have impaled death panel malarkey as soon as it came up.
“But if such Republicans seem loco, and the far left looks easily outmaneuvered, the president seems lame, too, for letting the crazies and uglies get on offense all summer, showcased by a superficial media beast. Laura Bush had to ride to Obama’s rescue and explain that he wasn’t a brain-washing alien, that it was a good thing for a president to inspire kids.”
One Comment
The bully analogy is a good one. In a school with bullies, you don’t try to cooperate with the bullies and be “bipartisan.” Nor do you ignore them, allowing them to do as they please. The folks in charge (teachers in school, public officials in government) have to set limits on them. And you don’t allow the bullies to frame the discussion and decision about what to do about bullies. Just as students can’t show up for school with weapons, folks shouldn’t be allowed into Town Hall meetings with them. We shouldn’t wait until they use them before we do anything to stop this.
Post a Comment