Tony Klimek: Boehner partisanship part of the problem

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1:01 PM Friday, February 19, 2010

Leadership gets things done. Leadership makes things happen. Leaders do not make excuses. Leaders find ways to work together to solve problems.

In accordance with the Constitution, our country’s leaders are elected by the people. They are granted the privilege and responsibility to lead our country and should work together for the common good of our nation.

Our country is facing unprecedented challenges. Health care costs are spiraling out of control; Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are in financial trouble; the world and our country are in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression; and our country is fighting two wars.

We need leadership in Washington that understands the need to work together to serve the needs of our country.

In the last national election, Barack Obama was elected president of our country; members of Congress were also elected and sent to Washington, D.C. Our leaders have the collective authority and responsibility to address the problems facing our country. They are accountable to the voters and will be judged by future generations for their actions and inactions.

The representative from Ohio’s 8th Congressional District, John Boehner, has chosen a path of inaction. He has chosen not to lead. He has chosen to just say “no,” oppose every proposal by the president of United States and refuse to conduct the country’s business.

This strategy was designed to politically damage our president and provide short-term political gain to the Republican Party. It extends a well-worn pattern of Washington politicians — do nothing, allow conditions to worsen, talk too much and blame somebody else.

Mr. Boehner was sent to Washington in 1990 and quickly became part of the political leadership. Instead of using his position to solve problems, though, he became part of the Beltway industry of perpetuating the status quo.

He developed a rhetorical pattern of railing against the very same Washington establishment he has served for 20 years. Under his leadership, major problems facing our country have been ignored and have gotten worse.

He has a track record of talkover action, regardless of which party is in power. When the Republicans controlled Congress and the presidency from 2000 to 2006, he spoke against deficit spending while his party led our country from a surplus to a deficit. He also spoke against earmarks while his party increased their number and size during the same time period.

Mr. Boehner is a paid servant of the people. He has a responsibility to address the issues facing our country. He has been given power and authority to lead; instead, he has chosen a path of obstruction and arrogance, and has placed himself and his party above the needs of the country.

Scoring political points through ridicule, distortion and blind opposition does nothing to make our country better; it simply maintains the status quo and makes the task of solving our problems more difficult.

Leaders and elected servants of the people should not place short-term political gains above the well-being of our country.

After 20 years, Mr. Boehner has become part of the problem in Washington; he talks too much and accomplishes too little. It is time for change. We need someone who is more concerned about solving problems than scoring political points. Ohio’s 8th Congressional District and our country deserve better.

Tony Klimek of West Chester Twp. is a member of Change Butler, a Democratic political action committee, and the central committee of the Butler County Democratic Party.

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