Timing is Everything
Colin Kavanaugh
We’re in the midst of an economic catastrophe. International tensions are high from Israel to Palestine to Iran to North Korea to Venezuela. Big government is back and spending billions, but no one can be sure if it’s too little or too much. The average American is afraid and uncertain, and I think rightly so.
Ninety days ago, Barack Obama became the president of the United States. If you’ve paid any attention, the cabinet selection process lined up Democratic (and some Republican) all-stars. Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, Bill Richardson Judd Gregg Gary Locke, Kathleen Sebelius and a number of others.
Today was the first time that the President assembled his cabinet in one place at one time—three months in. And Sebelius and Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack weren’t even there.
I know, I know. In a world of Blackberries, iPhones and old-fashioned e-mails (not to mention fleets of assistants and interns), the President would hardly need a cabinet meeting to assure that each is doing his or her job. And he’s met with each of them separately on a number of occasions. Even on Penn’s campus, a well-attended gathering took place to discuss “green jobs” with Vice President Joe Biden. But there is something deeply troubling about the President not putting his “smart” people in the same room and discussing what’s so wrong with the country.
I’m a government realist, so I realize most of the policy work is done by staffers and wonks at State, Defense and Treasury. But I feel that Obama could have used this newsworthy event to talk about more than just a $100 million departmental budget cut. A small step like this, a cohesive government branch assuring the American public that it’s got everything under control, could have gone a long way.
Maybe I’m imagining a professor’s ideal classroom. One where students don’t skip class but attend (books in hand) ready to debate and discuss. Alas, I skip a good share of my lectures (I’m taking astronomy?!). But this country needs a good, open discussion. After all, before he was President Barack Obama, he was just another professor at UChicago Law—challenging his students.
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