The Leader of the Free World Isn't Leading

The most right wing president since the 1920s cannot expected to lead. Even when he talks about being the leader of the free world. Too often, George W. Bush has been President Walking Backward. It's time for President Bush to change.

Steve Soto of The Left Coaster has the latest example of the last national leader in the industrialized world to cling to the past (there's also several good links):

Bush is now the last holdout in opposition to an international Kyoto-type carbon trading system: Australia now wants to deal with global warming, isolating the United States the only industrialized country in the world that has fought this. With Barbara Boxer about to push aside the neanderthalic James Inhofe as chair of the Senate Committee on the Environment (Baucus and Lieberman will already have other committee chairmanships), the bipartisan calls by John McCain, Joe Lieberman, and Dianne Feinstein for such a carbon trading system here at home just got one step closer to reality.

The GOP has softened its reluctance to deal with global warming over the last two years, and the multi-billion dollar slab of energy industry corporate welfare that was the 2005 energy bill will soon be re-opened and significantly changed by a Democratic congress. The only question is whether or not veto-proof majorities can be cobbled together in each house to force Bush's hand on the issue.

In 2008, we need a president who isn't just trying to beef up the family firm. We need a president who actually cares about the future. We'll soon know whether Bush is interested in salvaging his presidency or whether his stubbornness and pride will be put ahead of the national interest. And we'll see if Republicans in Congress can help the president start paying attention to the American people instead of GOP campaign contributors.