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| Sean Southard and CIA Director David Petraeus |
As an avid political junkie, the election season has been entertaining and frustrating. In all the talk of the economy, the recent crisis in Libya, and in between mentions of binders of women and Big Bird, one large voice has been missing from the presidential debates (and I’m not talking about Gary Johnson or Jill Stein).
I’m talking about Congress. Before I begin my rant, I should state I am a sophomore in college. I am no historian nor am I a political scientist. I am simply observing what I think to be a gross absence on both sides of the political spectrum in this presidential election. Congress was virtually invisible in the debates between President Obama and Governor Romney.
In the first debate, Congress was mentioned seven times. In the town hall debate, five times. The foreign policy debate? The legislative branch of government was mentioned a mere two times.
When one considers the debates, it isn’t hard to notice both candidates displayed a blatant disregard for the role of Congress in the government. Both of the presidential candidates view the Presidency as the primary institution of the government, superior to Congress. A concrete example of indifference was provided in the final debate. Mr. Obama stated the upcoming budget cuts, or the “Sequester” as some call it, were not his idea, but that they were “something Congress has proposed,” and that they “will not happen.” He signed the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 into law and the draconian cuts will be implemented.
Governor Romney offered his thoughts on the sequestration act by saying that the cuts to the military budget were “unacceptable.” One can only infer that an option acceptable to the governor would be to stop the cuts to the military. This option is as un-courageous as it is unwise. Members of Congress, too, are running away from the punishment they put in place for the failure of the so-called “super-committee.”
A leader does not run from difficult decisions. A leader stares difficult decisions down, even in the face of adversity. A leader is emboldened by difficult choices and stands fast with courage. They do not run for a first or a second term during a time of unsustainability arguing for more unsustainability. They do not ignore what should be the primary branch of the United States government.
Sean Southard, of Daviess County, Ky., is a sophomore at the University of Louisville. He is majoring in political science and history.