Does it matter
I’m not convinced it really matters who’s president of the United States. Unless Congress suddenly stumbles upon some level of competency, we might as well elect Mickey Mouse, who, I should point out, always manages a few write-in votes.
President Bush’s State of the Union address Monday night was the perfect example of the model of inefficiency we call our United States Congress. During his speech, Bush talked about this country’s desperate need to do something about illegal immigration. He emphasized Social Security is a problem which must be faced head-on.
The general reaction to these statements was a collective yawn. I watched one political commentator lambaste Bush for regurgitating his same old ideas.
What this commentator failed to mention is these same old ideas are two of the most pressing issues facing our nation. And they are problems Bush tried to tackle during his second term without gaining an inch of headway.
Try as he might, Congress thwarted the president at every turn. Bush’s plan to revamp Social Security to make it a viable program for years to come was never taken seriously. His effort to stem the free flow of illegal immigrants coming across our borders was widely ridiculed by members of his own party.
So now we’re treated to presidential candidates like Barack Obama, who can’t stop talking about change. Unless Obama can transform the 535 members of Congress into clear-thinking adults, it’s hard to envision how this country is going to pass any meaningful legislation ‘ on any issue.
The best I can figure, members of Congress must think they can play hide and seek with the nation’s problems. If they count to 10, maybe the problems will just disappear.
Unfortunately, we all know it doesn’t work that way. And Bush’s legacy as a do-nothing president who was the man who got us stuck in Iraq is not completely his fault.
Granted, it is his fault in terms of his ineffectiveness as a leader. His claim of being a uniter and not a divider couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s not a powerful speaker or a commanding presence.
But Bush ‘ or his advisors ‘ did produce some decent ideas which Congress promptly ignored. I wonder how Obama proposes to change that?
Perhaps the best thing that could happen to this country would be term limits for members of Congress. Senators could be limited to two terms, or a total of 12 years. Representatives could be limited to four terms, or a total of eight years.
Term limits might actually entice some lawmakers to do what’s best for the country ‘ not what’s best for themselves. As it stands now, most members of Congress do their very best to remain as invisible as possible. That means they try very hard at doing nothing, and it works. Taking a hard stance on something like Social Security might alienate them from older voters and result in their ouster from Washington.
There’s already talk that Congress won’t tackle any major issues in 2008 since this is, after all, an election year. But how much longer can we afford to do nothing?
Social Security must be addressed. Illegal immigrants must at least face a speed bump on the fast track into this country.
As disappointing as Bush’s presidency has been, the truly disheartening part is there’s no end in sight. No matter who is elected our next president, he or she will inherit the same broken Congress. It certainly dampens my level of optimism.
James Clark is editor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at standard@blomand.net.