Presidential hopefuls tend to take credit for the efforts of their coworkers... When Newt Gingrich assumed the Speakership of the House, he was entering an environment where Congressional Republicans, including Rick Santorum and John Boehner (yeah, once upon a time) had already exposed the Democratic Culture of Corruption with their prosecution of the House Bank and Post Office scandals. Their actions laid the groundwork for the expulsion of Democrat Speaker Jim Wright and the ascension of Newt Gingrich and his Contract with America. Not to hear him tell it, of course, but...
Rick Perry boasts of the million jobs created during his tenure as Governor. But the governorship of Texas is actually an office of fairly limited power, as critics of GW Bush liked to remind us. The actual work of legislating in Texas is in the hands of the Legislature and Lt. Governor. Perry can rightly take credit for providing leadership and a conscience to the government of Texas, but the state's financial strength has many fathers outside the Governor's mansion.The point is not that either man is too fond of grabbing undeserved credit. The point is that we the voters should not be looking for a man on a white horse (or big shiny moon rocket in Newt's case, maybe) to save us single-handedly. No president we elect can success unless we the voter provide them with a legislative body that will cooperate in the execution of the public's will, as opposed to killing our hopes. Without that, the greatest leader can rear his white horse and wave his sword all he wants on the path to futility, With that, even a flawed president can create a legacy that will endure.
It's not on them. It's on us.
1 comment:
Deborah Leigh said... True, but a president and both chambers must be willing to work for the country based on the Constitution, Bill of Rights. They must uphold the laws and the Constitution. In short, take the oath they pledged with all seriousness, rather than just words to claim the prize.
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