Memo to Congress

President Obama believes our nation is at a crucial turning point and his actions are consistent with that belief. He believes America can no longer afford to keep kicking decisive responses to the severe structural problems that are hobbling our economy, down the road for future politicians to avoid. President Obama knows full well that powerful vested interests almost invariably prefer keeping the status quo because the status quo helps them keep their power. And he knows that politicians tend to enjoy long political careers if they say what the public wants to hear and do what important special interests want done.

President Obama says he is willing to be a one term President if that is the political fall out for taking his responsibility seriously and actually tackling the problems our nation faces head on now, while there is still a chance to resolve them. He knows the political art well, and he could easily construct a Public Relations Presidency. He knows there is always a price paid when so called political capital is spent on seriously pursuing major accomplishments rather than positioning oneself for maximum positive exposure. He could have pursued less and stayed more popular as a result. President Obama is pushing his agenda for America hard because our nation faces even harder times than these if we do not act boldly now. And though that may well cost him reelection in the short term, that isn't his primary concern.

It again is time for a few more "Profiles in Courage". It is time for Congress to focus on the severe problems our nation faces, not just at polling numbers that can so easily be swayed by manufactured fears. It is time to attend to the interests of the citizens you were elected to represent, not just the interests of those who funded your last and future elections. President Obama knows what is now at stake is more important than getting reelected. I hope you can agree with him on that. And just maybe actually providing real leadership, by acting swiftly to enact real solutions to the very real growing crisis America faces on multiple fronts, may be rewarded at the polls the next time you face election. But you weren't elected to get reelected, you were elected to do your job.

He has not forgotten the need to push for sweeping revisions in the way our financial markets are regulated, in the wake of last years meltdown. He knows real action there is overdue and can not be back burnered. Same about our energy policy and the threat of global warming, where he also is pushing for fundemental changes in the way our economy does business. He already had to rescue the auto industry while pushing it to adapt to 21st century needs. Obama is at work laying the groundwork for new green industries in America WHILE he tackles our largest piece of unfinished business from the mid 20th century, the lack of universal health care coverage for Americans.

Obama is not playing his Presidency politically safe. He is approaching it as though it was his job to deal with the problems we face now. This is a hats off to him for that and a call for Congress to respond in same.