Still Campaigning

From time to time, I am asked the difference between being Governor and Senator. Senators and Congressmen are constant campaigners. Governors are doers. Coming to the Congress, Senators have taken a poll; they know the issues, and the first thing a pollster will tell you is don't split or divide the voters. You're trying to get the most votes possible so identify with the issue; make a favorable comment on both sides, and say you are "troubled" or "concerned" over the issue. The game of a Senator is "I introduced," "I sponsored," "I made a talk." Identify early on with the policy or issue, never having any idea about implementing the policy. In short, the pollster will teach you not to lead. Only identify. And survival in the Congress will have you constantly campaigning for money and re-election.

As Governor, the crazy Legislature might give you what you propose, and then what are you going to do? How are you going to implement? How are you going to see it through, make it work? The first order of a Governor or President is to sit down and think it through. Assume the policy or program has passed Congress and now you've got to make it work. You begin to think how you can avoid trouble; smooth over troubling issues; beat the regular opposition; take care of the sore-heads in your own party, and head-count. If you don't have a pretty good chance of enactment, you never propose. A President's time is limited and he's got no time like a member of Congress identifying or hit-and-run driving important needs. He has to lead for the real needs of the country. You'll never find the real needs of the country in a poll because the pollster avoids asking questions -- for example, about taxes. When has a pollster asked: "Do you believe that the government ought to pay for the government it provides?" You'll never find a Marshall Plan in a poll. But the people will let you know.

I watched the Obama campaign develop. We in South Carolina had lost textile jobs long before Paulson's stimulus last September. Obama won the primary, but he and the other candidates never mentioned the devastation of "free trade" or jobs lost from imports. In the Presidential forum, questions on trade or jobs were never asked. But by the time the candidates reached Pennsylvania and Ohio, that's all they were asked. Obama even gave out pins with his picture and the slogan "Buy America." The will and the needs of the people had come through.

That's what's coming through now. Most think the upset at town hall meetings is over health care. But it's mostly over jobs and the economy. President Obama is mentioning creating jobs with a stimulus that is spent because we spent the last eight years stimulating the economy or doubling the debt $5 trillion. He never mentions the loss of jobs in the trade war. Globalization is nothing more than a trade war with production looking for a cheaper country to produce. The textile industry, the furniture industry, the automobile industry, was lost long before Paulson stimulated. Now they talk of an oxymoron -- a jobless recovery.

The voters were uptight last November at Obama's election. They were sick and tired of the hit-and-run "identifiers" from Congress and settled on a smart, capable, hard-working individual whom they thought would listen and lead. Obama finally listened in the campaigns of Ohio and Pennsylvania, but he's gone back to the pollstered handlers of David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel. They have him out campaigning around the clock.

Axelrod and Emanuel act like re-election is tomorrow; they want to handle the six o'clock news, the day-to-day headline. They have no idea of getting anything done. For example, they had President Obama make his first announcement to close Guantanamo. No idea of getting it done, Guantanamo is now on hold. Responding to an underground move to get at Cheney's abuses, they had Obama rush out to the CIA and assure the agents that they were not going to be made criminals. Now, Obama's Attorney General is investigating the agents for crime.

And, of course, health care. They enlisted Speaker Pelosi because she acts like an executive. With limited time and control in the House of Representatives she can get things done. She got it done. Now all hell's broken loose. We have a mess. I thought I could help with the elimination of the corporate tax and replacing it with a 5% VAT. A 3% VAT is better than tax-neutral. It actually cuts corporate taxes. It allows business to produce 22% cheaper and export 27% cheaper. Instead of cutting Medicare and increasing several other taxes, a 1% more VAT would pay for health care. An additional 1% will allow exemptions for a VAT on essentials and begin paying down the debt. No doubt a winner! Except for Corporate America.

The financial crowd, that got the country in trouble in the first place -- the big banks, Wall Street, and Corporate America have no regard for the economy of the United States. They are interested in continuing to make big profits in China and India and the economies of China and India. Eliminating the corporate tax would make them go to work and worry about unions instead of a guaranteed profit in China. Some on the corporate board may suggest that they start producing again, creating jobs in the United States. But the CEO in charge has got three years to get the stock up, show big profits, and he wants to continue in China for his bonus and golden parachute. So Corporate America and the financial crowd oppose cutting their taxes. This is the crowd with the money for campaigns. I made this tax cut proposal to pay for health care to friends in Congress. But Axelrod, Emanuel, President Obama and my friends in Congress have got to get the money for the campaign. Jobs and the economy will have to wait.

The CEO of Boeing is reported to favor moving Boeing's production to China. I knew we needed the automobile industry to make the tanks like we did in World War II. But if the airport industry that has succeeded with government research and government subsidies is now moving to China -- veritably moving the economy to China -- we just as well close the Pentagon, rent it out to the lobbyists, and move the government to China, because we can't defend the country.

A few years ago, Barack Obama campaigned for the Illinois Legislature and got elected. Once in the Legislature, he campaigned for Congress and lost. Then he campaigned and got re-elected to the Legislature. Then he campaigned for the U. S. Senate and got elected. Once in the Senate, he campaigned for the Presidency and got elected. President Obama's principal experience in government is campaigning. But now as President, he's got to govern. The President will have to do a lot of campaigning his fourth year in office. But for the first three years he should stay in Washington and figure out how to head the country in the right direction. Otherwise, his fourth year he'll be headed in the wrong direction.

Comments

[Greggo]

It's really a shame that Americans don't listen to those who know what they're talking about. They listen to those who know how to push emotional buttons. I remember the warnings about NAFTA back in the 90's. They sure came true. But I suppose that you have to go back to Nixon and China to get to the start of our current economic problems. America is quickly becoming a colony of China, and they can't see it coming. Sen. Hollings is like a modern day Paul Revere. It's a shame more people don't heed the warnings.

God Bless you Fritz!

[MThomasNC]

I agree w most of your points. I believe Obama will succeed w HCR this year. He knows that most of the objections to what he wants to do is coming from conservatives whether corporations or right wingers who believe in trickle down economics, free markets, and authoritarian gov't. One thing he will remember is who voted the dems and him into office.
Obama is being critized by everybody - right, left, blue and green. These are trying times. Would anybody else done any better at this time, this year after 8 years of Bush 43, and over 30 years of conservative gov't.

[olderdem]

I agree that a VAT is the best way to pay for healhcare. Let the importers pay their fair share and stop putting the burden on U.S. companies (that really just puts in on the backs of U.S workers as it makes them less competitive).

[mikerobjohn]

WOW! As an Obama supporter, I know this is going to give the opposition some ammo, but he is right!

Obama is good at campaigning and that's all he's ever done effectively! Now he can't make up his mind about how to do healthcare!

Although, McCain and Palin were not the answer. Obama has now got to lead much better!

[JBVT]

President Obama is currently breaking the vows he promised.

If the good work he promised is further compromised,

due to his pandering to the right wing and corporate interests;

America's dream will continue to die.

And I will cry.

[texasaggie]

Absolutely brilliant piece, Senator. If the "sublimest word in the English language is duty," as you quoted Robert E. Lee at least once before, then your time on this planet has been sublime, sir.

[r3768]

I love you, Sir, even if your intelligent insight makes me depressed.

[TheIndependenceParty]

Thank you, Senator/Governor Hollings. You had me from the outset, but your comments about the auto industry and WWII tank production called me up short, as I have written about that concern myself. The notion that Boeing would think about moving production to China brings me to my knees. As a kid in Wichita, I watched as B-52s were flown in test flights, and came and went from McConnell AFB. Lear Jet, Cessna, Beech, ... and biggest of all, Boeing. "Superfortresses" they dubbed them. Awesome in their time. And Boeing wants to make their new superfortresses in China? Really?

Imagine a time when we are at war with China, ... Do we raise a whit flag ad go begging for spare parts? Do we ask they Chinese if we can order Hummers for our armed forces?

I know you see where we are headed, Fritz. We are becoming worker bees for corporations, ... and countries almost do not matter any more. They can destroy a country by simply moving cash from one to another, ... causing banks and treasuries to fail at will. Not conspiracy theory, ... but truth.

We are in very deep trouble, but you had the courage to at least tell us so. Thank you, Sir!

[mikerobjohn]

This proves that a communist country is better at running the economy than a capitalist greed country!

[anothervoice2]

Very good piece. Absolutely correct.