Express the Grays, Mr. President

President Obama must trust the American people to see the gray areas of the challenge ahead.

The three weeks since Barack Obama became President of the United States have been a roller coaster for the President and the American people.

On Monday evening he will address the American people in a televised news conference, the next in an ongoing series of "most important addresses" that the President faces.

Understandably, the pundits are all in the "what he needs to say" mode. So here's my take on this: 1. Be strong, be calm and be optimistic but frank, 2. Express the urgency of immediate action; 3. restate the goals of that action; and, 4. most important, speak directly to the American people in a manner that recognizes the grays - not just the black and white's upon which the partisans and the media seemed to have focused.

As he did with his remarkable speech on race. President Obama should trust the good judgement of the American people to see the problem in all its complexity and ask for their prayers and support as he works to get both sides to be both more humble in their approach and more bold in their implementation. In short - to paraphrase Lincoln - to ask both sides to stop acting as if God were on their side and quickly craft a humble concensus, hoping and praying that we are on God's side.

In an interesting piece on Politico.com yesterday, Elizabeth Sherman, of the Tractenburg School of Public Policy at GW University gave a simple, but compelling, response to the question of "what to say" by reminding the President to stay on message with a restatement of the need to move beyond partisanship and the specific goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 package.

In other words, remind them that we are not red states and blue states but the United States and then speak frankly about the goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

1. Targeted tax cuts and investment spending to get the private sector working again and renewing confidence in the system;
2. Strategic short and longer-term investments to fund infrastructure and to invest in our competitiveness in the new green economy as we emerge from the recession;
3. Proving a safety net for those hardest hit by, (and often least responsible for) the economic meltdown.

Sherman is right on target with this advice, but it will fall short if the President does not then use it to do an end run around the Congress and the media straight to the American people with a plea for their help in setting a new tone with expanded expectations.

He can start by reminding the American people that changing the landscape in Washington is not going to be easy - that it will only happen with their support. One only need look at the actions of the major players in the past few weeks to see how difficult it will be.

With some wordsmithing, he can both highlight the problem and secure the support of the American people. He can - for example - demonstrate how he tried to reach across the aisle during the past week only to have the Republicans seek unfair advantage by insisting on their package and crying partisanship when they got less than 100% of their demands. He can show strength by taking a Reaganesque approach to the Republicans, a "trust but verify" approach that expects cooperation and hits back when cooperation is not given or disingenuous. Just as Reagan firmly held the Soviets to his expectations, so too will Obama hold the Republicans to his - rewarding them when they live up to their promises and pushing back when they don't -
always vowing to continue to press for a post partisan approach.

Obama can start by forgiving the partisans and the press for their transgressions of the past two weeks:

Forgive the Democrats who, heady from their victory on election day, have failed to see that the election results were not an endorsement of the Democratic party, but a clarion call for a new way.

Forgive the Republicans for their transgressions by pointing out that they are understandably confused and without direction. Their ideas have suffered from the rejection of the American people after eight years of national experimentation and they are struggling to find a voice that makes them relevant in an era of diversity and global competitiveness.

Forgive the media for finding conflict more newsworthy (and profitable) than concensus and for the understandable difficulty of finding simple ways to report on complex problems.

Ask for the help of the American people in the immediate problem of taking action on the recession and in the longer-term challenge of creating higher expectations for a post-partisan future.


"Lincoln Memorial at Night"


Order this image as a print or poster.

Would you like to use this image as a fundraising instrument for your nonprofit organization or school? Follow this link to learn more.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Post Partisanship

Changing the way Washington does business won't be easy or quick.

A funny thing happened on the way to a post-partisan Washington. The Democratic House decided it didn't need to be post-partisan because it had the votes and the Republicans decided that they could play all the worst partisan games with the stimulus and Barack Obama would not be able to fight back without seeming to go back on his promise.

It seems that President Obama is going to have to revise his approach to creating a post partisan American government. I suggest that he take a page or two out of Ronald Reagan's play book. The one that says "The Soviets: Trust but Verify".

I suggest this because the Republicans are acting very much like the Soviets of old.

Sure, they have an old tyme ideology that provides plenty of cover on their anti-spending dogma and just like the Soviet leaders with their dachas and expense accounts they never worry about whether their message is consistent with their example.

More disturbing, however, is the way in which the Republicans have mimicked those wiley Soviets by demanding concession after concession and then acting as if President Obama's expectations that his election should give him some control over the agenda was an about face on his promise to reach across the aisle.

Like the Soviets, they have figured that they can have the best of both worlds. They can line the pockets of their friends and still vote against the final bill. If the Stimulus bill works, they can claim that their tax cuts were what created all the jobs; and, if their tax cuts have crowded out the strategic investments needed for the measure to actually succeed, they can crow about how they were right to vote against it.

It almost makes one long for the good old days of bitter partisanship.

President Obama will need to develop a response for this kind of behavior or they will continue to run that play like a prison football team from The Longest Yard. That's where the Ronald Reagan approach might come in handy.

1. Regularly warn the American people that they can't be trusted and point out their behavior each time they engage in it.
2. Play the partisan in response to their shenanigans, using humor works well.
3. Raise the stakes suffiently so that there is an incentive for real and honest post partisan behavior.

In short, institute a policy of Mutually Assured Destruction for playing the slime card.

The polls show that the American people see what the Republicans are doing here. Yes, there is some damage to the President's agenda but, according to just released national polling, the minute that President Obama began to fight back the American people came down on his side. It won't be long before the Republicans find - as the Soviets did - that the price of their gamesmanship may just be a lot higher than they thought.

A Peek at a McCain Presidency

McCain Shows the Wisdom of the American People's Choice

Yesterday, John McCain gave the American people a rare glimpse at the fate they were spared by their election of Barack Obama. McCain rolled out an alternative "stimulus" plan that was nothing more than a ratty old copy of the Bush playbook that has gotten us into this mess to begin with.

Fortunately, neither Congress, nor the American people were buying it - or even paying much attention for that matter.

There will surely be time for John McCain to show that he has not had his principles completely hijacked by the Sarah Palin wing of the Republican Party, but this is not an auspicious beginning for the Senator who's legacy already took a serious hit over the past year.

"Fawn at Welton Falls"


Order this image as a card print or poster, here.

Would you like to use this image as a fundraising instrument for your nonprofit organization or school? Follow this link to learn more.

An Economist Mind with a Mother's Intuition

One of the best blogs out there when it comes to understanding the current economic crisis and the efforts to do something about it is the Economist Mom, edited by Diane Lim Rogers of the Concord Coalition.

Lim Rogers declares the blog as the place . . . “where analytical rigor meets a mother’s intuition”–where honest math and sound economics is communicated in a way that makes common sense and is relevant to our daily lives. The issues they discuss span a wide and unusual range as suggested by the blog’s title–from “do deficits matter?” (yes) to “can I get my family life in perfect order?” (no, she can't). Lim Rogers says that "among the broader policy issues there will be a particular focus on the economics of fiscal responsibility, with the hope that this blog will be part of a newly effective, “grassroots” movement involving ordinary American parents and grandparents, encouraging our policymakers to “do the right (fiscal) thing” for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

I'm a big fan of Lim Rogers, but if there is a criticism that I would make of the over-arching theme of the blog it is that by relying on a "mother's intuition" to generate the common sense side of the blog, Lim Roger's sometimes falls short on understanding the strategic choices that need to be made in order to find that sweet spot where fiscal responsibility and a mother's intuition meet meet effectiveness of effort.

A recent case in point was Lim Roger's (vocal) appearance tonight on NPR's Marketplace. Unlike so many other commentators, Lim Roger's understood that the bill being considered by Congress right now has two key components: stimulus and competitiveness. She gave a concise and clear explanation of the two components that should be framed and placed right in frot of every pundit in the country so that they understand it as well. However, on her Blog she seems to make the case that we can afford to wait on the parts of the package that will take longer to get into the economy but will position the US to be competitive in the global economy. This is where she's wrong and a bit of common sense and mother's intuition will go a long way toward understanding why.

If you think that the partisanship and posturing over the current bill is bad - just wait until we are another trillion dollars in the hole. Even the most far sighted folks will be wringing their hands about spending the money needed to achieve the goal of creating a "smart grid" or bringing some other sustainable technologies to market. In fact, I would make the case that if we had to choose between immediate stimulus and investments that will ensure our competitiveness for the future, that we should endure the hardship of short term for the promise of the long term.

When the crisis of 9-11 generated international goodwill that could have been turned into an opportunity to unite the world in an all out effort to end our dangerous dependence on fossil fuels, President Bush told us all to go shopping and he missed the most powerful teachable moment in recent history. Woe unto us if President Obama is equally shortsighted.

If we sacrifice what is important for what is urgent, we will emerge from this recession as a second rate economic power without the will or the courage to take the action that will be necessary to make us competitive for the long-run.


"Deep Roots" Poster and Card

Quote under the photo:

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by frost.

J. R. R. Tolkien

Order this image as card, prints, poster, here
Would you like to use this image as a fundraising instrument for your nonprofit organization or school? Follow this link to learn more.

Bill Bradley - A Logical Choice

"The number one principle of the New American Story is that Country comes before Party. When there is a choice between them, a patriot chooses Country." - Senator Bill Bradley

If there are two books that belong together on a bookshelf labeled "Ideas and Ideals" they are Barack Obama's "Audacity of Hope" and Bill Brdley's "New American Story". Both express the necessity for citizens to rise up and compel the political establishment to change the way in which it does business.

That's the first reason why Bill Bradley is the logical choice to head up the department of Health and Human Services and to take the point position on National Healthcare.

The second is that Bradley has all of the assets of Tom Daschle and few, if any, of the liabilities. Well respected by both Democrats and Republicans; Bradley knows how to "work the Hill" and he knows the challenges that lie ahead.

Bradley's depth of understanding and knowledge on Health Care Reform is well known. It was his principle issue in the Democratic nomination process of the 2000 election and Bradley's view was comprehensive and pragmatic.

Furthermore, and this is what separates Bradley from others like Howard Dean, he has the temperment for the job. If there is one aspect of Bill Bradley that more closely mirrors his connection with Barack Obama on political philosophy, it is his temperment. Bradley's cool headedness is a perfect fit for "no-drama Obama".

It may just turn out to be a stroke of good luck that President Obama has been asked to revisit the appointment of HHS Secretary, although it surely can't feel that way at the moment. After all, by the time we are through getting the country out of this recession, getting Americans to think big again on Healthcare is going to be very tough indeed.

"The Peacock"




Order this image on cards, prints, or posters, here.

Would you like to use this image as a fundraising instrument for your nonprofit organization or school? Follow this link to learn more.

The Gregg Appointment

The appointment of Judd Gregg to the position of Commerce Secretary is a first rate choice by the President. Judd Gregg has been intimately involved in developing the budget and providing oversight for the Department of Commerce for many years. He knows how the department works and he knows how to make things happen.

Furthermore, among US Senators, no one has a better understanding of the severity of the economic crisis facing this nation. Judd Gregg was the choice of his Republican leader to represent Republicans in the difficult days following the announcement by the Treasury secretary that we were in meltdown territory.

Despite the looney ramblings of Michelle Malkin in her blog and the critics on both sides, President Obama meant it when he asked us to step beyond partisanship and Judd Gregg values Country over Party. Thats a good starting point for what will be the very difficult days ahead.


"Mr. Lincoln's Legacy"


Order cards, prints, posters, here.

Would you like to use this image as a fundraising instrument for your nonprofit organization or school? Follow this link to learn more.

Understanding Why It Happened

There's no end in sight on the financial crisis, but that has not kept several foundations from supporting efforts to understand how the crisis came about and ensure that it does not happen again. In the meantime, they also serve as a touchstone to the more immediate issues surrounding the crisis. We suggest that you bookmark the sites and return to them regularly to keep up with our understanding and future trends.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has provided three grants totaling $1.7 million to:

• The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania;
• The National Bureau of Economic Research; and.
• The Brookings Institution

Each has received funds to study the ongoing financial market crisis and to improve public understanding of economics and finance.

The Sloan foundation made an additional $1 million grant to the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer for a series of reports on the crisis, with the same goal of improving the public’s economic and financial literacy.

Wharton's Website provides timely analysis and insight into the origins of the financial crisis, how it's affecting our economy, and what we can expect for the future. Check this page frequently as news posts and information will be added regularly. Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

"National Bureau of Economic Research is the nation's leading economic research organization and posts working papers, data, and other resources for business professionals, public policy makers.

The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations that advance three broad goals:

• Strengthen American democracy;
• Foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans and
• Secure a more open, safe, prosperous and cooperative international system.

"A Sea of Boys"

Order cards, prints, posters of this image, here.

Would you like to use this image, or another, as a fundraising instrument for your nonprofit organization or school? Follow this link to learn more.