Opinions - To The Contrary

Saturday, Mar. 15, 2008

We need leaders to get nation out of this mess

To the Contrary

This is a question for U.S. Rep. John Spratt, the man with the flip charts and pointer, whose photo with these two props I have seen in papers in Italy, Germany, Australia, etc. I wonder sometimes if he can order dinner without breaking out a flip chart and explaining to the waiter how his steak must be cooked.

Rep. Spratt's Democratic Party is bombarding us with the message that:

(1) They can get us out of Iraq.

(2) They can solve the economic downslide that we seem to be heading for.

(3) They can get a handle on the rising fuel costs that the two oil men (Bush and Cheney) have burdened us with.

(4) They can make our country safer, our schools better, provide universal health insurance and guarantee a chicken in every pot.

I just watched a CNN news program -- "Anderson Cooper 360" -- that had two highly placed folks from the Democratic Party discussing how to handle the delegate problem for Michigan and Florida.

The national Democratic Party told the people in Michigan and Florida that if they held their primaries before the approved date, their delegates would not be seated at the national convention, period! Both states defied their party and held early primaries.

Both of these Democrats were trying to figure out the best way to have the two states represented at the national convention. After much hand wringing and total bewilderment, both admitted they had no clue as to how to solve this situation, but that they should be seated.

Follow the rules

Now, where I come from, if you tell me that if I do something against the rules, I will suffer the consequences, and if I elect to defy these rules, I should expect to suffer the consequences. Case closed.

Let me be perfectly clear, I honestly believe that George W. Bush will replace Jimmy Carter as the worst president ever to sit in the White House, so this is non-partisan gripe.

Yet, I ask Rep. Spratt: If his party is totally confused as to how to solve this basic problem, how can he look me in the eye and tell me his party is more qualified to lead this country out of the chaos being left by Bush?

Let me offer a hint: Play by the rules. Don't change them in the middle of the game. To do so would demean the party.

We deserve more

The American people deserve more from their leaders than we have had in the last 16 years. From the sexually sick Clinton, to the Alfred E. Newman ("What, me worry?") Bush.

I am tired, sick and thoroughly disgusted with the clowns in Washington who put party loyalty ahead of the people they claim to represent. I marvel at the way the best interests of our country take a back seat to petty partisan politics. I also wonder how some politicians can face themselves in the mirror.

Spratt has influence because of his seniority. I hope he will use it and help get my country back on the right track. We need strong leadership, not strong party affiliation. To do less would be a disservice to this state and this country.

All he has to do is, do what's right! It really shouldn't be that hard.