Wednesday, July 18, 2012

McDonnell’s call for President Obama to lead an unrealistic politically motivated statement


During Sunday’s “State of the Union” show on CNN, Gov. Bob McDonnell “urged” President Obama to keep Congress in session to prevent a sequestration that would cut hundreds of billions from the defense budget.[1] The first portion of the $500 billion in defense cuts is scheduled for January 2.

There are two major problems with McDonnell’s statement, however. First, it is his own Republican Party member, Eric Cantor (among others), who is assiduously working to axe, or “scrub,” the defense budget to sharpen his conservative credentials.[2] Thus, if McDonnell is really concerned about halting defense cuts, he better have a chat with his Republican colleague.

Second, Bob McDonnell is fully aware that the do-nothing Congress will reject any moves that President Obama takes to lead the policy discussion for their own political ends. That is, the majority of Republicans in Congress have made a point to oppose any action that President Obama takes. It’s difficult to lead when all of your soldiers are mutineers.

Instead of the sequester being used as motivation to move towards a compromise position[3] on politically divisive issues, it is being used by both political parties as a whipping horse to win ideological cookie points before this fall’s round of elections.[4]  

Real political leaders look for solutions, however, not call on others to take roads that have already been tried and failed. McDonnell could do his country and his political career a favor by urging his Republican colleagues to put down their ideological battle-axes and do what’s best for the country, not their own political careers. It might not be the easiest move, but leaders don’t always tread down the easy paths.


[1] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2012/jul/16/tdmet02-mcdonnell-urges-obama-congress-to-prevent--ar-2059459/
[2] http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/31/eric_cantor_wants_you_to_cut_the_defense_budget
[3] http://csis.org/publication/ending-threat-sequestration-and-national-game-chicken
[4] http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78406_Page2.html

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