Nov. 2, 2010 proved to be grim for Democrats. The question now: Will Obama be a Clinton or a Truman? (Photo by Pete Souza/The White House)
Nov. 2, 2010 started off with a bang (for me). As I was walking out of the salon early yesterday morning, in walked then-Speaker Pelosi and her entourage for her ‘farewell blowout.’ The day was suspected to loom grim, but at least the then-speaker’s hair would look great.
And, the day did prove grim (for Democrats).
Yesterday, Republicans swept the House by 61 seats (and rising). Historic, to say the least. Republicans have not picked up 60 seats in a congressional election since 1948. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the Obama Administration or the Democratic-packed 111th Congress.
You are all undoubtedly reading the commentary and hearing the pundits pundicate ad nauseam about the Tuesday Tsunami. As such, I will not belabor the point too much, but to say this:
For the past two years, the president and Democratic Congress proved over and over again that they did not understand the severity of the economic crisis – the severity of having 14.8 million people unemployed, compounded with a national debt price tagged at $13.6 trillion and unprecedented government spending. Well, the American people are all but forcing the executive and legislative branches to understand the ruthlessness of the crisis at hand with their audacious and historic vote yesterday.
Here, now, the question becomes twofold:
1. Will this vote really force the president to be introspective? Will President Obama be Truman and run against Congress or will he be Clinton and cooperate with Congress?
Answer: Sadly, I’m not so sure we can rely on this president to cooperate. True, in his press conference today President Obama said he understands that “people want business to be done here openly and honestly.” To date, however, this president has failed to act Clinton-esque – instead he’s acted quite tone-deaf.
For example, at the expense of jobs, he rammed through a $940 billion health care reform bill. And, instead of ingratiating the GOP, he went on the attack by suggesting they were enemies. Cooperate, Mr. President, cooperate.
2. Will the new 112th Congress actually rise to the occasion and begin to accomplish what the American people just hired them to do (that being, balancing the federal budget, cutting superfluous spending, and putting policies in place that will garner real job growth)? Will they, our congresswomen and congressmen, cooperate with each other in a bipartisan manner? And, will they push forward in the event that President Obama is more Truman and less Clinton?
Answer: Again, I am not so sure. Unfortunately, Congress tends to have a short memory – until its time to get re-elected, that is.
We can only hope that the members of the 112th Congress take their new responsibilities and duties seriously, dead seriously. Congressman Boehner’s tears were high-drama last night (some have suggested it was self-tanner in his eyes, but I’d like to think the tears were sincere). Let’s hope that the tears were sincere, or we will see even more angst and tears in 2012.
Sarah Lenti is the blogger behind NMPolitics.net’s The Savvy. E-mail her at sarah@nmpolitics.net.