Time to Pass The Buck and Start Pointing Fingers: Obama Living Up to His Absentee Legislator Past

During the Presidential “Media Fest” Campaign of 2007/08, many tried to impress upon the American people that Obama was an empty suit. Quite simply, he had no significant legislative achievement to call his own. Heck, as an Illinois State Senator, Obama voted “present” nearly 130 times, according to the New York Times: “effectively sidestepping” issues. The point of those who pressed Obama’s lack of executive experience and sidestepping tactics was that we could not afford a President who would do the same.

Ten months into the Obama Presidency, it is pretty clear that Obama is living up to his Absentee Legislator past. Painful examples abound:

1. Trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in Criminal Court. Arguably one of the most detrimental legal and foreign policy decisions of our time, and Obama openly admits it wasn’t his call – it was an underling’s call – Eric Holder. It was a terrible decision and, as Senator Lindsey Graham pointed out, an unprecedented decision. While I doubt Obama sat purely on the sidelines on this decision, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that someone other than Obama has to take responsibility for this decision – good or bad. And when it goes bad, then Obama will simply dump Holder. Problem solved.
2. Health Care. What’s a President to do when he is devoid of any significant legislation to his name? Allow the most significant piece of legislation in the last 40 years to be written and managed by others. Literally. Before us is the biggest makeover of the relationship of the private sector and government since the Great Depression and Obama is merely a passenger on a bus being driven by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. When it fails the American people, and it will, Obama will rightfully claim it wasn’t his bill. Such is the prerogative of an Absentee President.
3. The Stimulus Bill. It’s failing. Indeed, over 3 million jobs have been lost since the Stimulus Bill was passed – a bill laden with pork because its passage was driven by someone other than Obama (not to say he would have passed a trimmed down bill). Beyond that, we find out that the AIG bailout money was misspent – who would have thought? Since the President can’t be in charge of such failures, and Obama can’t blame Pelosi or Reid, the fall guy will be Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner – because, in time, simply blaming President Bush won’t be effective anymore.
4. The November Elections. Even though Obama went and put his personal prestige on the line for New Jersey Governor Corzine, Corzine was soundly beat – as was the Democrat candidate in Virginia – a race Obama wouldn’t touch. But those results, according to Obama, had nothing to do with him – those were races with local implications not national influences.

What about a policy Obama pushed, like the closing of Guantanamo? It was supposed to be closed within a year. It won’t be – not that it ever should have been closed. Now someone has to take the blame for it – ignobly at that. And the answer to that is Greg Craig, the White House counsel, for a policy Craig didn’t create.

You can expect more of the same as the ship of state sails on without a leader at the helm. Remember, next year the Bush tax cuts expire. That impending doom is hurting the prospects for a recovery – but – it won’t be Obama’s fault, that was legislation signed by someone else.

And as for the other major problems affecting our nation? Well, the biggest problem going forward is that Obama is present.