Advising the President

As regular readers know I rarely, if ever, talk politics here. As part of my normal routine, I listen to my local NPR station on the drive to/from work and I read through the headlines on CNN.com a couple of times a day. I'm not really a news junkie but I think it's important to be aware of what's going on out there.

Tonight, as I read through some of the stories on CNN.com, I came across a collection of emails sent in from people across the country as advice for President Bush on how to do a better job. Now, I'm not going to comment on whether or not I agree with any of these in particular. I found that I agree with parts and I disagree with parts and I'm not sure about others. There was one, however, that I felt was on the right track, given my observations of this administration:

He has to include Democrats in the process of governing. The "either you're with me or you're against me" attitude is one of his biggest shortcomings. I resent his attitude that because I disagree with him on something makes me somehow less of a citizen. Bernie Clemens, Indianapolis, Indiana

I am not registered with any political party, however, I tend to agree more often with the Dems. There are a lot of issues on which I am rather moderate. That said, I think what Bernie, here, is saying has some real merit. Through the judicial nomination process, through legislation that is sent through, the president seems to be totally ignoring those on the other side of the aisle from whence he came. Granted, he was elected and is going to promote his view of how to direct the course of the country. But we all live here and he should realize that he needs to make decisions that encompass more than just his own point of view. To be a responsible leader means honestly and openly looking at all sides and doing what benefits the most people. Compromise is key. He constantly talked about being a "uniter not a divider" as he campaigned and yet he continues to divide.

I didn't really want to get into a political discussion but with everything over the past month or two, especially, my confidence in his ability to lead has fallen below the low esteem I held him in before.