Lame ducks don’t quack much. There’s no need. We’re not all that interested in what they have to say.
Like ‘em or not, no longer are we magnetized by their personalities or offended by their actions. Any grand pedestal of respect has crumbled, as more and more we embrace the logic of “out with the old and in with the new.”
We’re ready for the “new” – ready for the next guy (pardon me, Hillary and Sarah) – eager to see what he will do… eager to jump on the bandwagon, seeing if he really can change the world. Of course, no one man this side of heaven has the power –save the ego – to change the world (my apologies to Louis Farrakhan and the German paper, “Bild,” both of which have already declared President-Elect Obama as the “Messiah”).
It is time now to band together, with respectful and bipartisan support for Barack Obama. That doesn’t mean we can’t disagree with him. It is simply an acknowledgement that he is the next President for all Americans.
Psst… but have you noticed the supposed lame duck?
The sunset is setting on the Presidency of George W. Bush -- the bold Texan, the media will quickly tell us, who has seemingly become the object of global scorn. Some of us have joined in the mounting disrespect. Yet watch as the sun sets. He has not screamed in self-defense every time a person referred to the “failed administration” and “disgraceful policies” of the past 8 years. (Never mind that every person who repeated that line had something to gain by saying it.) Bush has remained quiet. He has greeted our next President with respect. He has even directed the U.S. Treasury to save half of the recent $700 billion economic bailout package, leaving it to Obama’s discretion and direction.
Bush is also being silently sensible in regard to pardon distribution – an official act of forgiveness that removes civil liabilities stemming from criminal conviction. Presidents customarily distribute pardons right before Christmas and right before leaving office, but not all have been particularly prudent. President Clinton pardoned Marc Rich on his last day in office, arguably hoping none of us would notice. Rich was indicted on charges of tax evasion and illegal trading with Iran, accused of cheating the U.S. government out of $48 million. Note that his wife was a huge donor to Hillary’s Senate campaign and Bill’s Presidential library. Thus, I would conclude that President Clinton was not that wise of a duck.
So I’ve jumped on the bandwagon, thankful the election is over and eager for Obama’s inauguration. But I am also thankful for the classy, gracious exit of President Bush. He is treating the office as it deserves, even without the fanfare or the media support. He leaves us not with a bang… not with a whimper… not even with a quack.
AR
Like ‘em or not, no longer are we magnetized by their personalities or offended by their actions. Any grand pedestal of respect has crumbled, as more and more we embrace the logic of “out with the old and in with the new.”
We’re ready for the “new” – ready for the next guy (pardon me, Hillary and Sarah) – eager to see what he will do… eager to jump on the bandwagon, seeing if he really can change the world. Of course, no one man this side of heaven has the power –save the ego – to change the world (my apologies to Louis Farrakhan and the German paper, “Bild,” both of which have already declared President-Elect Obama as the “Messiah”).
It is time now to band together, with respectful and bipartisan support for Barack Obama. That doesn’t mean we can’t disagree with him. It is simply an acknowledgement that he is the next President for all Americans.
Psst… but have you noticed the supposed lame duck?
The sunset is setting on the Presidency of George W. Bush -- the bold Texan, the media will quickly tell us, who has seemingly become the object of global scorn. Some of us have joined in the mounting disrespect. Yet watch as the sun sets. He has not screamed in self-defense every time a person referred to the “failed administration” and “disgraceful policies” of the past 8 years. (Never mind that every person who repeated that line had something to gain by saying it.) Bush has remained quiet. He has greeted our next President with respect. He has even directed the U.S. Treasury to save half of the recent $700 billion economic bailout package, leaving it to Obama’s discretion and direction.
Bush is also being silently sensible in regard to pardon distribution – an official act of forgiveness that removes civil liabilities stemming from criminal conviction. Presidents customarily distribute pardons right before Christmas and right before leaving office, but not all have been particularly prudent. President Clinton pardoned Marc Rich on his last day in office, arguably hoping none of us would notice. Rich was indicted on charges of tax evasion and illegal trading with Iran, accused of cheating the U.S. government out of $48 million. Note that his wife was a huge donor to Hillary’s Senate campaign and Bill’s Presidential library. Thus, I would conclude that President Clinton was not that wise of a duck.
So I’ve jumped on the bandwagon, thankful the election is over and eager for Obama’s inauguration. But I am also thankful for the classy, gracious exit of President Bush. He is treating the office as it deserves, even without the fanfare or the media support. He leaves us not with a bang… not with a whimper… not even with a quack.
AR
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1 comment:
I concur with your admiration for how Pres. Bush is behaving himself in his final days. Regardless of how you assess his political acumen and success as a leader, he is showing us a model of grace and restraint under fire.
Joyce
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