A PHOTO I LIKE

Here's a photo I like. There's eloquence in the gesture, and such pleasure in the police constable's face.

A GOOD LETTER

From the New York Times, 6/15/2011

To the Editor:

Re “Politicians Behaving Well” (column, June 10):

Why does David Brooks feel the need to refer back to Edmund Burke and Anthony Trollope to find an exemplary politician? We have one in the White House.

President Obama has been excoriated by both the left and the right with the most extreme and unrealistic invective used against any president in my lifetime, yet has never responded in kind. He has treated his opponents with respect, even when their opposition was beyond disrespectful.

He has taken the time to reflect and seek the counsel of the wise and learned, even when he was being accused of inaction, yet has acted decisively when necessary. And he has taken the opportunity to instruct us in our highest concerns, even when the throng was calling for soaring rhetoric.

In short, he has personified precisely the standards of political excellence Burke set forth. If only the American electorate cared.

DAVID BERMAN
New York, June 10, 2011

The Value of Nuance

I did not watch the debate of the Republican candidates for president last night, but from the excerpts I saw and what I read in the newspaper this morning it would appear that all seven devoted the better part of their time to bashing President Obama for his supposed failures. They did not, I gather, mention, that the President has failed mostly thus far in attempting to fix the damage their own policies caused. Even today, the economic policy they propose seems to advocate mainly a return to those failed policies, with the conviction that what failed before will succeed the next time around. Their tired--and tiresome--mantra: lower taxes for all, most especially for the rich and for record profit-making businesses; and smaller government.

I did watch the Ann Curry interview with President Obama this morning, and was impressed, as always, by his fair, thoughtful, balanced responses to her questions. The response on whether Rep. Anthony Weiner should resign was pure Obama--fair, carefully nuanced, rational. Unlike those who have been busy throwing stones at Weiner in their own glass House of Representatives, the President first, and correctly, answered that this was a matter between Weiner and those who elected him. The "If it were me..." addition concentrated less on the moral issues than on the question of public service. If his ability to serve were compromised, he said--of himself--he would choose to step down.

I like the absence of the "should." The President's answer left the responsibility where it properly belongs: with the Congressman and his constituents. He did not, notably, in any way excuse Weiner's actions, but neither did use his own moral condemnation as the righteous standard for another man to follow. Instead, he made it unequivocally clear how he himself would handle that responsibility, upholding his own ethical standards while not imposing them on others. The subtlety of this distinction may well be where he gets into trouble with those whose ears are desensitized to nuance: to them, perhaps, it sounds more like an abdication of responsibility. It's not. It's a respect for the freedom and responsibility of others, including Weiner--and, more importantly, the people the congressman was elected to serve.

"Vote Obama 2012" continues to solicit opinions from others. I know that there are many voters out there who think, as I do, that this President has done a remarkable job in starting to address the mess that he was left with. As he himself concedes in every possible occasion, it's not good enough; there is still much work to do. To return to the demonstrably warped and counter-productive policies of the past is not a serious option. Please consider adding your voice to mine if you agree.