Lincoln and Obama: Steady Hands at the Nation's Helm

“It was a period of gloom….when no man could foretell the happening of the morrow, when strong men trembled at the possibility of the destruction of our Government.”

So begins the 1909 tribute to Abraham Lincoln by the elderly Adlai E. Stevenson, Sr. on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the birth of our 16^th President.

While I doubt there are many who believe our Government is at risk of destruction today, hardly anyone doubts we are in a “period of gloom” as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth (tomorrow).

Let's go back to Stevenson's speech of 100 years ago. Stevenson, an Illinois native, who became a congressman, and still later, Vice President, knew Lincoln, and thus, was well suited to the task of paying tribute to the beloved President.

“He came from the common walks of life,” recalled Stevenson. “His early home was one of the humblest, where he was a stranger to the luxuries and to many of the ordinary comforts of life…How inspiring to the youth of high aims every incident of the pathway from the frontier cabin to the Executive Mansion…In no other country than ours could such attainment have been possible for the boy….whose only heritage was brain, integrity, lofty ambition, and indomitable purpose."

Are there any parallels to be drawn with the lanky young lawyer from Illinois now sitting in the Oval Office?

For Barack Obama, born in 1961 to a struggling bi-racial couple, his beginnings were humble indeed. Certainly, it can be said his only heritage was “brain, integrity, lofty ambition, and indomitable purpose.”

As the 1909 tribute continued, Stevenson praised Lincoln’s judgment in handling the question of slavery, an issue, he acknowledged, that “had been the subject of repeated compromise by patriotic statesmen.” This “apple of discord,” as Stevenson described it, had “darkened our national pathway from the beginning. It was well that in such an hour, with such tremendous issues in the balance, a steady hand was at the helm.”

Stevenson concluded his centennial tribute by selecting one particular paragraph from the inaugural address to share with his audience. It was the closing paragraph:

“We are not enemies, but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot’s grave to every heart and hearthstone of the broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union when touched as they will be by the better angels of our nature.”

In America’s most recent history, passion and stridency have divided us – on a distant war and on a broad range of social issues at home. Such divisions weaken the Union. In Barack Obama, Americans have discerned a leader who – like Lincoln – believes our Union is stronger when we subscribe to “the better angels of our nature.”

In his memorable Philadelphia speech of March 18, 2008, Obama sounded a lot like Lincoln:

“I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together – unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for our children and grandchildren.”

President-elect Obama is demonstrating already that he meant it—he really meant it – when he said he would reach across partisan lines, across ideology, across any social issue that would divide us, in order to keep us united and our collective eye steady on the goal of strengthening the republic before we hand it to the next generation.

President Lincoln is surely smiling today as President Barack Obama puts his steady hand at the helm.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln!

What's good looking...

What is six feet tall, has a beautiful complexion, and is always ready to roll?

Hint: You can’t see over it, under it, around it or through it – and it is always thirsty.

Answer: An SUV

PS: They are unsafe at any speed (for the rest of us driving a sedan).

Did you ever try to back out of a parking space with one parked on either side of your “normal” car? Good luck.

Who ever thought SUVs were a good idea?!

Go Ahead, Make His Day

There are some Republicans who can’t stand to call the President by name. “President Obama” are two words they cannot utter. They have not accepted him as their President. So, to show the degree of disrespect they have for him, they call him simply “44.” I guess some are still stinging from the Democrats referral to the Bushes as “Bush 41” and “Bush 43.” (Good grief, that's what they called themselves -- face to face.) I confess that is exactly the way I referred to them many times, but it was because both numbers are odd numbers…and weren’t their presidencies a little “odd,” too. The numbers just seemed to fit them.

So what about this “44” designation for President Obama? Well, he is certainly number 44 in the succession of Presidents we have had. But far from being offended by the Rs calling President Barack Obama, “44,” I like it. It is a powerful number, one that conjures up images of law enforcement officers brought in to clean up the city and restore peace to the neighborhoods.

I think it was a .44 Magnum that Clint Eastwood’s character, “Dirty” Harry Callahan described in the movie as “the most powerful handgun in the world.” You remember it; it’s the one Dirty Harry brandished in the face of the hoodlum and said, “Go ahead, punk, make my day.”

Now, I don’t own a handgun – never will. Enough said there. So I am not condoning the use of guns by ordinary citizens. There is a place for them with law enforcement, however, and with those who provide for the common defense.

I’m truly sorry for members of the loyal opposition who prefer to call him “44” instead of his given name or simply the title of his office, but if it conjures up images of a someone with a strong will, determination, and commitment to defend this nation, so be it. If it brings to mind those who will not tolerate troublemakers, foreign or domestic, so be it. If it reminds one of tough-minded leaders who are willing to “bite the bullet,” “tell it like it is,” and “do the right thing” for America, so be it.

I say to my Republican friends, go ahead and oppose the President if you want to, disrespect him by calling him “44” if that makes you feel better. Go ahead and make his day!

One of the Great Mysteries of Life

A local newspaper, The DC Examiner claims Republicans are in good spirits these days, despite coming off "a devastating, across-the-board electoral defeat."

The paper gets it right. This is the essence of what I've been telling my Republican friends for a long time:

"Being in opposition, after eight years of a Republican presidency and 12 years of GOP rule in Congress, suits many of them just fine. It's not that they were glad to lose. There are a lot of indignities involved in being the minority, and a pretty small minority at that. But talk to Republican lawmakers and insiders these days, and they speak as if an enormous weight has been lifted from their shoulders. Some of that weight was named George W. Bush, but in a larger sense, Republicans are relieved to be free of the burden of running things."

This is what I've been trying to tell you. Generally, Rs don't like the business of governing. They are not good at it. Most of the ones I have known the past 40 years are far more comfortable sitting on the back bench throwing rotten tomatoes at the Democratic majority. Indeed, that is what they do best. At least, that has been my experience. They just to say "no" all of the time, and return to their back row bench where they pray for the Democratic majority to pass into law the legislation they oppose. I know, it doesn't make sense, but that's their most comfortable modus operandi.

It is really unfortunate that being able to go back home and say "I opposed that one to the end" is more important that actually participating in the legislative process.

I'm not intentionally hard on my R friends, I just report the facts (as I see them). Republicans are indeed relieved to be free of the burden of "running things." Oh Newt, wherefore art thou?

"Not your run-of-the-mill recession"

The President performed last night as well as any American citizen had a right to expect. He was informed, articulate and candid with the American people…something we have not heard from recent Presidents. He was just what the country needed: someone in command of the issues and the office. In short, he did a GREAT job last night.

I thought the questions were disappointingly lame...and reflected a lack of understanding of the nation's economic condition....AND what is needed to get us out of it. And then there was that reporter from the Washington Post who, in the midst of the nation's worst economic crisis since the Depression, asked about the President's reaction to New York Yankees’ A-Rod steroid case. Good grief.

Obama’s performance was impressive and may prove to be the tipping point for achieving his first major legislative victory.

Most interesting to me today is steadfast Republican recalcitrance on the stimulus bill.

They are betting the President will fail, they expect the country to fail, and that they alone will be around to pick up the pieces in 2010 and again in 2012. Think about it. The GOP clings tightly to the belief that tax cuts and smaller government are the only answer. That’s their story and they’re sticking to it. Is there no room for anyone with rational thought on their side of the aisle?

To put it another way: The Rs are betting on a total collapse of the economy. By opposing en mass, they are saying they don’t believe the stimulus bill will work. In other words, the “NO” party has no confidence in America.

"Everything. Depends. On. Electricity."

I like what I hear from President Obama about the need to upgrade and expand our national electric transmission grid, and make it “smarter.”

And you should, too.

Because – ready or not – dramatic change is coming to America. And it starts with our electric grid.

In the USA, there are over 500,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines carrying generated electricity from power plants to substations where local distribution companies take over and deliver the electricity to customers. President Obama wants to add 3,000 miles of new lines, mostly to carry power from renewable energy sources in rural areas to urban areas where it is most needed.

This is a start. Three thousand miles of new lines sounds like a drop in the bucket to me. Nevertheless, we should join President Obama in supporting efforts to bring those lines to reality.

Why? Well, Peggy Noonan hit the nail on the head when she wrote in her recent book, Patriotic Grace:

“Every thing in America runs on electricity. Communications – the phone, the TV, the radio, the Internet. The lights, the heat, the ATM, the bank, the pump, the refrigerator. The machines in the operating room, the lights on the runway. As I type I listen to music that is plugged in, on a machine that is plugged in, under lights that are plugged in. I receive word from people I care about through two machines that are, at the moment, plugged in and being recharged.

“If something bad happens we will get information, instructions, inspiration, and help from things that are plugged in. And we will be largely without information, instruction, data, assistance, and inspiration if the grid goes down.

“Everything. Depends. On. Electricity.”

Peggy Noonan gets it. Barack Obama gets it. He put about $11 billion in the current stimulus bill dedicated to the national electric grid. Now it is time for the rest of us to get on board.

Some electricity utilities get it, they understand increased demand for their product will not abate, but they are afraid of the risk involved. After all, we are talking about a lot of financial unknowns here. I understand their trepidation and their fear of the risk involved. But we have no choice. Change is not just on the way, it’s here!

Consider this one fact: Google, Inc., the Internet’s most widely accepted search engine, is investing a minimum of $10 million in the development of the Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). That’s $10 million from a company that is only 11 years old, by the way. Ya’ think they know something?

Well, Google certainly knows something about change, and Google sees significant change in the air for those who use electricity in multiple ways. Imagine the impact on the grid if consumers switch en mass to PHEVs. If 10 million cars are plugged in all night, what impact will it have on the national grid?

And I have not even mentioned the impact of nanotechnology on electricity generation, transmission and distribution. Or its impact on the electronic products we use.

I don’t know about you, but I hope the utilities start using some of those stimulus funds to string wire…and right now.

But don’t take just my word for it. You’ve heard T. Boone Pickens say, “We are in a deep hole…we don’t have a 21^st century grid in the United States.” David Ratcliffe, CEO of Southern Company, says up to $3 trillion needs to be invested in energy by 2030” and I’m sure he includes the national electric grid in that sum.

As you listen to the debate this week and next, think of all the many ways the funds may be used to help us stabilize the economy, perhaps even grow it a bit, but also keep in mind that America desperately needs the dedicated best effort of all our resources to upgrade and expand one essential component in our “national infrastructure” – the national electric grid.

Sense of Entitlement Erodes Public Trust

Earlier this week, as the tax problems of President Obama’s cabinet picks were the buzz in Washington, I exchanged e-mail with a friend in Georgia who expressed a view shared, I'm sure, by a great many Americans:

“I have held a very cynical view of DC politicians for years. Democrat or Republican, I think the process and the bubble of DC makes it, over time, a game to be played. The sense of entitlement becomes pervasive (why pay taxes, that’s what regular people do). With very few exceptions I think that is true.”

I responded that, yes, I’m sure there are those who come to DC wearing an ermine mantle of entitlement. I have known some. However, there are exceptions, and I worked with one: Sam Nunn.

In early 1973, a Gulf Oil lobbyist by the name of Claude Wild claimed in court, during his trial for making illegal campaign contributions, that he had made a cash contribution of $5,000 to each of several candidates in 1972, including US Senate candidate, Sam Nunn. Nunn's campaign had no record of it, nor could anyone associated with the campaign recall the name of the supposed donor. Although there was no record of a contribution from Claude Wild, Sam Nunn incurred $30,000 in legal fees to have a team of lawyers go over every last nickel of campaign contributions in an attempt to find the so-called contribution. It didn't exist, of course, but Nunn was going to make sure it didn't exist...and that the record would show he was willing to take every step to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. He did that, not because he had to, but because it was the right thing to do.

And that’s what public service demands. In order to enjoy the trust of your constituents, one must take every step, even those unpleasant or costly, to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

I thought “DC politicians” were all like Sam Nunn, but they were not..........and are not today.