Even I was struck a little dumb listening to President Obama's State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. Over-reaching much? I had to ask myself.
Job creation via infrastructure upgrades?
Raising the minimum wage?
Fairness for women?
Getting cars and trucks off of oil?
Path to citizenship for undocumented workers?
Talks with Iran?
Gun safety legislation?
Pre-school for all children?
Ordinarily, one or two of these suggestions might be doable, but with the current crop of House Republicans, I don't think so. Looking at what the Senate is currently doing to Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel - literally holding him hostage to receive printouts of every word uttered by everyone in the White House from the moment the first bullet struck the Benghazi compound - a request impossible to satisfy - an incident, by the way, with which Mr. Hagel had absolutely nothing to do - I despair of any meaningful action by either House.
Listening to a British Parliamentary debate the other night, I heard several references to bills being sent to "the other place." Now, that phrase is one I've associated, due to the influence of very pious great-aunts, with a euphemism for "hell." Turns out, the Members of Parliament are actually referring to the House of Lords. I can imagine adopting the phrase for both of our own Houses - plagues seem to have already infected them to such a degree as to demand an investigation by the CDC. Which, of course, doesn't have the funding for investigations of anything.
No. I doubt that President Obama and the best of our Democratic congresscritters will be able to accomplish much of anything worthwhile over the next two years - probably the next four. Which is a shame. But it is what it is.
Nevertheless, I am proud of him for putting it out there. It's entirely possible that history will see that President Barack Obama was one of our greatest Presidents. That he will be remembered, loved, and respected for the labour of love that he gave us. For being the last great visionary President who offered us a way into the future. For seeing clearly the great country that we could have been.
Some day, it will be blindingly obvious. Even to the people in "the other place."