"President Obama is an intelligent, judicious man who can see all sides of an issue. But every once in a while he tries to get politically cute, and he puts on his Keith Olbermann mask.
I suppose it’s to his credit that he’s most inept when he tries to take the low road. He resorts to hoary, brain-dead clichés. He wanders so far from his true nature that he makes Mitt Romney look like Mr. Authenticity."
"Politically cute"? "Hoary, brain-dead clichés"? Actually, Obama has recently been engaging in whoppers. On Monday, after the conservative Supreme Court justices KO'd the administration’s solicitor general, Donald Verrilli, who had vainly sought to justify the constitutionality of Obamacare, the president responded:
"I’m confident that the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress."
As succinctly observed by Charles Krauthammer in The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/charles-krauthammer-obama-v-scotus/2012/04/05/gIQAZ41txS_story.html?hpid=z2) in response to this balderdash:
"'Unprecedented'? Judicial review has been the centerpiece of the American constitutional system since Marbury v. Madison in 1803. 'Strong majority'? The House has 435 members. In March 2010, Democrats held a 75-seat majority. Obamacare passed by seven votes."
But let's return to the Ryan budget proposals. Acknowledging that the Ryan budget has "some disturbing weaknesses," Brooks observes that Obama has wildly distorted its content and concludes:
"But Ryan has at least taken a big step toward an eventual fiscal solution. He’s proposed necessary structural entitlement reforms, which the Democrats are unwilling to do. He’s proposed real tax reform, which the Democrats are also unwilling to do.
The first truth is that we will have to do these big things to avoid a fiscal calamity. The second truth is there is no one party solution; there has to be a merger of respectable ideas. The third truth is that gimmicky speeches obscure the president’s best character and make it seem as if he doesn’t understand the scope of the calamity looming in front of us."
Yes, Brooks is correct: There is a looming fiscal calamity, and there has been no meaningful attempt by the Obama administration to seek middle ground with Republicans that could save the US from disaster. Yes, I know, this is an election year, and the Republicans smell blood. However, as observed by moderate Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, if she had to grade Obama on his willingness during his first term to work with Republicans, he would be "close to failing on that point" (see: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/frustrated-senator-olympia-snowe-gives-obama-f-101657433.html).
What happened to the Obama who promised to put an end to partisan wrangling and reunite America (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.com/search/label/Olympia%20Snowe)? The dream has dissipated in dashed hope, and when Obama, a constitutional law professor, questions judicial review, I am forced to wonder whether he is being "politically cute" or instead has "lost it."
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