Dear Mr. President:
Your party just got clobbered in the election, and yet you don’t seem to have learned anything. Today you said that you are willing to work with the Republicans and look for common ground. For the last 22 months of your administration, these Republicans have shown you repeatedly that they are not willing to work with you. They don’t have any interest in anything except making you a one-term president.
Please, Mr. President, please stop this insane behavior. Your message today should have been forceful and direct:
Two years ago, the American people elected me to bring change to Washington and to how we do things in this nation. Since then, we have not done as much as we needed to do, and the American people have taken their frustrations out on their elected representatives. This has caused a change in the leadership of the House of Representatives.
Let there be no mistake, however. This administration was elected with a mandate. I am willing to work with the Republican leadership so long as their agenda advances the mandate I was given. If the Republicans are truly willing to work in a bipartisan manner, we can accomplish many things.
But if the Republicans plan to simply undo the progress of the last two years, then they will be the ones who have to explain to the American people in two years why things have not gotten better. We will not go backward to the policies that caused our economy to collapse. We will not enact irresponsible and unaffordable tax cuts. I will veto any legislation that runs contrary to the interests of the American people and the mandate they handed me in 2008.
For the sake of this country, please stop treating these Republicans like they will act responsibly. The American people do not want bipartisanship and cooperation over jobs and a better economy. They want things to get better. If the Republicans aren’t willing to make things better for the nation, it’s up to you to call them on the carpet about it.
Candidate Obama would do it. Will President Obama?
