My Christmas Wish List

As I tend to last-minute Christmas gift buying for those on my list, I thought I’d jot down some gift ideas for those hard-to-shop-for folks who may be on yours:

President Bush – A fair legacy. If last Sunday’s attack piece in the New York Times is any indication, the MSM and academia will not be kind to the soon-to-be former president. George W. Bush entered his presidency amid controversy and derision, and finds himself leaving office under this same cloud. But nestled between these bookends is a record of remarkable achievements in both domestic and foreign policy when viewed under the circumstances. Granted, he has made several missteps over the years, and decisions which I could simply not buy into, but these should be judged as part of his entire presidency. Bush will not go down in history as the greatest president, but he certainly won’t be the worst either.

President-elect Obama – Humility. I truly admire and respect what Barack Obama has managed to accomplish at this stage of his life, considering the challenges and setbacks he faced during his formative years. He has also managed to ignite a flicker of hope within the hearts of many Americans who have become weary of seven years of war on two fronts and a sputtering economy at home. But let’s make no mistake – Barack Obama is no idealist; he is an opportunist in the classic mold of the worst of Chicago-style politics. He has also come to believe in the deified image created for him by his handlers and lapped up by an electorate starving for a savior. A mighty load of expectations has been placed upon his shoulders, much of it brought on by his own doing. I hope he possesses the humility of his predecessor in his approach to governance, and awe for the office with which the people have entrusted him. Unfortunately here, he has no discernible record upon which to judge. I’m pulling for him to succeed, because if he does, we all do.

Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi – A lump of coal. They deserve coal not only because they are the worst congressional leaders since the Reconstruction, but also as a symbol that America’s energy independence will be gained only through a pragmatic policy of exploration and utilization of all of our country’s natural resources including coal; solar power; natural gas; oil and nuclear energy.

Christopher Dodd and Barney Frank – An unemployment check. These two clowns fiddled while Fannie and Freddie burned, and then promptly held everyone but themselves accountable for the mess. They deserve to find themselves on the same unemployment lines they indirectly helped to create for many others.

The Republican Party – A set of Blago-sized cojones. Yes, they got creamed in the elections, but that doesn’t mean they have to like it. It should be a mother lode of source material for the Republicans over the next two years, between the Democrat brain trust listed above and their kid-in-a-candy-store mentality on spending. The Republicans need to get out ahead on the ideological battle on common-ground issues such as spending, defense, and energy and health care policy. Reflexive criticizing will only deepen the chasm with the electorate – they need to put practical and bold ideas before an American public who will be considerably lighter in their wallets in 2010 after two years of Obamanomics. If the Republicans can’t get their act together by then, they’re toast (as are we).

The American People – A healthy dose of context. Yes, here comes my “we live in the greatest country in the world” finish. Because we do. And because we do, we tend to overlook our shortcomings or pay too much heed to those countries which overlook theirs when criticizing ours. We have problems to be sure, but none insurmountable. The reports of the death of the American Experience have been greatly exaggerated. We’ll come out of this, and it is my hope that we’ll all be a little wiser about the things that truly matter when we do. So cheer up, it could be worse…you could be living in the Sudan. Or North Korea. Or Iran. Or even Canada.

Merry Christmas.