BETWEEN THE LINES: Interesting year ahead
President Obama has started the year on a somewhat different note, as shown by his address in Tucson, Ariz., last week. While the political left was calling for gun control and blaming right-wing "hate" talk, the president softened his rhetoric and asked both sides to come together for the greater good.
His speech was perhaps the best of his administration.
As my readers know, I have often been a critic of the Obama Administration, but it is only fair to comment favorably when they do something good. After all, no one is right or wrong all the time. Even when one disagrees with a particular position, there is no excuse for making a personal attack on those who disagree.
At a time in history when the gulf between the left and the right is at its greatest, the president took the higher ground.
As he eloquently stated, “At a time when we are far too eager to lay blame for all that ills the world at the feet of those that think differently than we do, it is important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.”
In so doing, the president pointed his finger at both sides, making him appear to be a centrist.
In addition, the president did an end-run around congressional Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, directly going to the Republican leadership, and managed to carve out a compromise in the first week of the new year. By agreeing to extend the Bush tax cuts for at least two years, Obama received in return an additional one-year extension of unemployment benefits along with an increase in the estate taxes up to 35 percent, not to mention a decrease in Social Security payroll tax.
The final resolution came down to the belief that neither party felt like they had a winning hand. The compromise prevents a stalemate that neither side could afford. However, the battle is far from over.
Early indications are the president is moving away from the hard-line left, at least in the near term, to accommodate a country that is politically aligned slightly right of center.
Some political observers are comparing these actions to President Bill Clinton’s sudden move to the center following the disastrous off-year elections in 1994 where a wave of Republican congressman came to power under the banner of the Contract with America.
The nation’s rejection of Hillary-care became the focal point of contention, but Clinton recovered nicely from this early setback. I would not discount the likelihood the president can do the same.
The reality is that if partisan politics continue, we are doomed as a nation. Our problems are significant and require the kind of statesmanship that has not been seen since World War I. Our country’s desire to avoid pain, and defer the consequences of corporate, political and economic greed are what got us into this mess to begin with.
There is a bullet to bite and a tightening of the belt to take place, and the sooner this happens, the better. It is naïve to think otherwise. Look for the nation’s social mood to plummet in the coming months, along with the stock market, when the reality of our massive debt takes hold.
The herd is currently bullish, which is reason enough to doubt the Wall Street predictions of a surge in the market netting investors 15-20 percent yearly gains. If one believes that, I have some land in the Florida Everglades that I want to sell you.
Laughlin is a Christian Libertarian. He is an economist, teacher, father, husband and most recently a grandfather. He has written a weekly column for The Tribune for 12 years. He and his wife Gina reside in Meadowlakes. To contact him, e-mail ablaughlin@nctv.com. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company