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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
August 17, 2010
/ 7 Elul, 5770
A Truman lesson for a Democratic president
By
William McKenzie
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
With his finger firmly pointed at his predecessor, it may be time that Barack Obama invites David McCullough to the White House for a chat. The historian could remind the president that one of the greatest Democratic leaders, Harry Truman, prided himself in letting the public know where the buck stopped with him.
That's one of the more famous lines from one of our most responsible presidents, whom McCullough profiled brilliantly in Truman . The feisty Democrat's approach seems to have escaped Obama.
Obama's all too happy telling voters that things really aren't his fault, that's he simply trying to fix what he inherited. He repeated that point last week on his Texas swing, including a stop in Dallas not far from George W. Bush's new office.
I recognize that some readers think I have a blind eye toward Bush. For what it's worth, I believe history will judge him harshly in some ways, such as about appointees like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. But history also will reveal him to be a forward-looking leader on such issues as education, immigration and fighting AIDS. His will be a complex picture, including that he set up the financial rescue plan that allowed Obama to immediately start dealing with the crisis.
Complexity is not what Obama's selling. He and his advisers have determined that the best calculus is to run against Bush in this mid-term election cycle. Hence, his "it's-not-my-fault" line.
The irony: Obama actually has maintained and built upon several Bush policies.
Look at the war on terror, where Obama, too, is secretly dealing with terrorists. Or Afghanistan, where he's staying, not leaving, with higher troop numbers. Or education, where he's building on reforms that Bush and Ted Kennedy put in place. Or immigration, where he's trying to achieve the same goal Bush sought. Or the Bush tax cuts, which Obama is largely allowing to remain intact.
It's funny that you never hear much about those parts of the Bush legacy.
Nor do you hear universal praise when Obama diverts from it. Archbishop Desmond Tutu criticized the president recently for backtracking on the investments Bush made in fighting AIDS in Africa.
Nor is there much acknowledgement that Obama's party controlled Congress during Bush's final two years as president. And that Democrats, including Sen. Barack Obama, rejected Bush's overtures to overhaul entitlement programs when the deficit was a manageable $200 billion.
Having said all that, I actually like Obama's style. His cool intellect may drive some within our touchy-feely culture mad. But his John Kennedy-like detachment helps him put our challenges in perspective. We look too much to our presidents to heal our every wound, and Obama fortunately won't play that game too much.
And he has an understanding of paradox that great leaders possess. His Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech was brilliant for balancing dual objectives. He talked about waging peace while maintaining the right to use power to achieve that end.
But he has to improve the buck-stopping-with-him aspect of his leadership. Come to think of it, his blame-the-other-guy tack sounds a good bit like Bush's refusal to admit mistakes through the middle years of his presidency.
Growing into a consequential leader involves accepting responsibility and moving on. The same goes for congressional Republicans who are running hard against everything Obama and his party suggest. That's not leadership. At least get in there and try to work out a compromise.
Yet Obama is the one banking his party's November strategy on blaming his predecessor. So he's the one who needs to learn from a predecessor longer ago.
For his own sake, somebody on the White House staff needs to find McCullough's telephone number. He could illuminate Obama about how one great Democrat knew what accountability meant.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
William McKenzie is an editorial columnist for The Dallas Morning News. Comment by clicking here.
02/17/10: Politics no sure thing for Petraeus-era generals
02/11/10: Mend No Child Left Behind, don't end it
12/31/09: Changing demographics told decade's story
12/17/09: Where is our sense of sacrifice?
08/25/09: Does reform free us from the Chinese?
06/25/09: In the end, it's not work, just life
03/12/09: Dems face their own peril
01/27/09: Fine print matters in measuring schools
12/30/08: Rooted in a sense of place
12/18/08: Finding the Obama-era center
11/25/08: Stimulus if need be, but consider debt
11/07/08: Can Obama find the center?
10/14/08: The next, bigger bailout is Medicare
10/02/08: McCain would be wiser on regulation
08/27/08: Can Obama score among values voters?
08/20/08: McCain needs to push health care edge
08/06/08: How Bush can help McCain
04/09/08: To win, McCain must take his party in a bold, daring direction
03/26/08: To win, McCain must take his party in a bold, daring direction
01/30/08: Finally, Bush speaks up for relevancy
01/24/08: After Bush, who's going to crusade for education?
12/20/07: Candidates who prey on fears may generate votes at this moment in our cycle, but we really need to think hard about how far inward we turn
10/30/07: Is America building an empire? That is a central question for the next presidents
08/28/07: Don't let Gonzales' record taint all Bush appointees
08/16/07: Rove was half right: He got the big picture, but didn't belong in the White House
02/01/06: GOP needs changes, but it can't forget the big picture
03/31/05: Mexico fixes problems when it wants to
12/06/04: Bush's new team has a Texas feel
11/08/04: Second chances shouldn't be wasted
08/25/04: Bush could profit from being like Ike
© 2008, The Dallas Morning News Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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