Please, Mr. President

[An open letter to President Barack Obama]

Greetings, Mr. President, from Intersections International, a not-for-profit organization based in New York that brings people together who differ to forge common ground for justice, reconciliation and peace. When you announced last week that you brokered a deal on taxes with Republicans, my spirit soared. After all, at Intersections, our mandate involves bringing people together who differ, so good for you! But, when I saw that, along with continuing middle class tax cuts and unemployment benefits, the deal extended for two years, the Bush era tax cuts for the richest Americans, my heart sank. It seemed to be yet another compromise, not so much with Republicans, but with the core principles of justice and human dignity that I know you hold dear.

And so I take this opportunity to write, not to chastise you as so many on the left have done, but to implore you to do one simple thing: it is time, Mr. President, to lead.

Yes, please, Mr. President, lead.

It is time to use those magnificent rhetorical skills and that razor sharp mind of yours and lead this nation down those difficult pathways we seem unwilling to go. We need your voice and your insights; we need your direction and your passion. We need to see you stand up—not just conciliate; we need to hear you chart the course—not just follow where others would point. Strike out alone, if you must. We will get it and, eventually, we will follow. Do not be seduced by the siren song of a vacant bipartisanship. Set the agenda; marshal the considerable forces at your disposal and lead.

Please, Mr. President, lead.

How? Start by boldly claiming the frame for the debate. Do you really need me to remind you of the faulty moral equivalence between extending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (for two years) and continuing unemployment benefits for out of work citizens (for thirteen months)? Why are these totally unrelated items linked? Who set that trap? Reconciliation is incomplete until it is attached to justice. Draw the linkages in this debate where they really belong—with our children and the generations to come who will pay for these cuts, and to the Chinese who are lending us money. Who decided to make this deal on the backs of the unemployed, the very victims of the financial managers who are among those who will reap this largesse?

And, really, Mr. President, it was clever to send President Clinton to argue your case with the press. He is so bright and such a persuasive politician. But, sir, don’t you understand? It is you we need to hear from. And, sticking, why have you been so relatively silent about the recommendations of your deficit reduction panel? If bipartisanship is the goal, then beat the pavement on these recommendations which at least call for shared sacrifice. We cannot get out of this current mess without giving something up—can’t you just say that? Isn’t it disingenuous to offer platitudes about sacrifice and then trumpet that you’ve struck a deal that offers us all—especially the wealthiest among us—tax breaks? If you genuinely ask us to sacrifice—unlike your predecessor, who told us to show our patriotism by going shopping—we will follow; but we need someone to lead the way—clearly, unequivocally.

Please, Mr. President, lead.

I saw David Stockman being interviewed on TV last week. Remember him? Ronald Regan’s Director of OMB and supply side economics guru. And he called the extension tax cuts for wealthy Americans irresponsible—David Stockman!  When asked what he would do if he were part of your administration, he said he’d remind you where the veto pen is kept in your desk. I know this is hard, that you don’t want to use middle class tax payers as hostages, but someone has to pay for these tax cuts and what makes you think the argument to end them will be any easier in two years when you are up for election? Use, the pen, sir. Lead.

It is ironic that many of us have been waiting for you to remove your stoic armor and become animated in the face of repeated, blatant attempts to sabotage the “change we can believe in.” Who knew that your ire would be kindled most towards us for “sanctimoniously” demanding that millionaires and billionaires continue to reap tax cuts while many of our fellow citizens experience relentless economic bad news (will unemployment go to double digits in the New Year?).

Bipartisanship is not the highest goal. It seems so ironic that, as one of the great orators of our day, you’ve become paralyzed by the rhetorical devices of the opposition—from death panels to charges of being a socialist. On so many issues, it seems, there is a confused silence emanating from your office: on “don’t ask, don’t tell,” on energy policy, on education reform, on the looming crisis facing states and cities because we have not yet plumbed the depths of this economic crisis; and whatever happened to that conversation we were going to have on race in this country? Now might be the best time to have it since it is so inextricably bound with money and employment and how the enduring legacy of racism impacts our decision-making. This conversation, after all, is one you called us to have.

Please, Mr. President, lead.

As we move forward, sir, you continue to have my respect and my support. I authored a post shortly before your inauguration about the stirrings I felt that cold November day. I am still in your corner, but frankly my sadness is giving way to cynicism. The inspiration you drew out from us during the campaign must be rekindled before those flames die out for good. There is one way to do that, Mr. President: lead us.

All the best in this holiday season,
Bob