The Perception Wars

We now have a President in favor of tax breaks for all...and the Republicans are again on their heels in the perception game. Add to this the earmarks that even Rand Paul is approving and you have the pathway to a Democratic victory in 2012.

The lack of courage by both sides is appalling. Democrats will not fight for their constituencies and the newly-elected Republicans seem unwilling to make the hard choices that will turn the economic ship around for the long-term.

We do need dynamic dialogue that will forge new solutions. We should not expect much of a lame-duck session close to the Christmas break. We should be alert, however, to Executive Orders and appointments that circumvent normal channels and represent the despotic tendencies of those afraid of losing power.

There is no way forward without serious sacrifice, including deep cuts in certain facets of military spending, major adjustments for Medicare and Social Security and an overhaul of federal and state public employee pensions. Our elected officials should not be set for life for serving a few years in Washington. They should not receive waivers from the new health plans. At the same time, we do need oversight of corporate ethics, banking practices and reasonable environmental policies that allow for wealth creation without regulatory strangulation or rapacious exploitation.

As we make systemic adjustments to global economic realities, we need to re-empower local and state governments and remind ourselves that we are a nation conceived in reverence for God and respect for the sovereignty of the people. We need to retrain millions for the 21st century and invest in the future. Our path ahead is difficult but doable and "politics as usual" will not work. I call on millions of Americans to have the courage to speak out, act compassionately and generously and hold our leaders accountable for OUR national checkbook!

Today is December 7th - a special tribute is due to all veterans and to the surving WWII vets that witness to a courageous moment in our nation's history.