Respect, the President and the Middle

+WonderfulWorld

I am not a Democrat, nor a Republican. The President, of whatever party, deserves respect, and deserves a Congress that will work with his/her Administration to do the work of and for the American people, not to play politics to win re-election.

For as much as George W Bush, Obama, Clinton and George Herbert Walker Bush all made mistakes, they all at least made good faith efforts to do right by the American people. I don't for one moment think that any of those four human beings were out to harm the country or were out for their own selfish interests. I could be wrong, but I think the proof is in the actions they took during office at specific moments in time.

George W Bush, after '06, instead of backing down from the Iraq disaster, went all-in with the Surge strategy, basically salvaging a terrible misadventure despite so many naysayers. I'd say that is a man that wasn't in it for his own political self-interest no matter what people said about him then or today. I’m sure there are millions of people that will take enormous issue with that. Take a step back and remember that he is a human being, with a wife, daughters, a mother and a father. Under his watch we suffered the worst terrorist attack on American soil ever, we suffered one of the worst economic disasters in American history and the world was shifting underneath all of our feet.

Bill Clinton was on the defensive pretty much from the beginning, much like Obama. And, despite that, he worked with Republicans to move the country forward, and was highly successful at doing so, despite all the sabotage and the obstructionism by the opposition. He did so with most of the country despising him at the time, but he continued on with the work regardless of that. I'd say that he wasn't in it for himself despite any personal failings he may have.

George H.  Walker Bush made a campaign promise of Read My Lips No New Taxes . . . a promise I'm sure he meant when he made it. However, when he took office, he saw the utter disaster that Reagan had left the budget and the country and did the right thing for us all, regardless of how it tanked his political future. This was a man totally not about what was in his best political interest and future. He deserves much respect. You don’t make a promise and follow through on it when it doesn’t make sense.

Obama made many campaign promises, delivered something on nearly all of them. Much like GHW Bush, it made no sense to close GITMO after fear antics by Congress, so Obama didn’t follow through on that promise. Immediately, Obama had obstructionists out to sabotage him at every turn. Maybe, you disagree with what he did, but the other party literally didn't try and compromise or dialogue whatsoever. Imagine what would have been possible if they had worked together! Then, the minute they have some say after Ted Kennedy died, they use that say to block anything reasonable at all for the last 4 years. They are the selfish, self-serving, political beasts that are more interested in catering to the lowest common denominator than what's best for the American people.

This is where I start. This is where I find myself . . . in the middle.