February 5, 2009--The Ladies of Forest Trace: Civics Lesson

“I know it’s only a little more than two weeks since he was inaugurated, but I’m feeling worried about his ability to lead and run the government.” I had just placed a call to my hundred-year-old mother as I had many times during the campaign when I was concerned about one thing or another.

“If you’re talking about that Daschle business, you can stop worrying.” Again, my mother was trying to calm me down. Which was why I had called in the first place.

“Well that too.”

“But didn’t you see him on CNN the other night?” I was ashamed to admit I was watching American Idol. But since I didn’t answer, knowing me so well, she sensed I was up to something like that and continued. “How did he put it when he was questioned by John King? ‘I screwed up,’ he said. Not that I like such language from a president, but when was the last time you remember a president admitting he made a mistake? He told us he would do that during the campaign, take responsibility, and there he was doing just what he promised. Not that I want him to, forgive me, ‘screw up,’ but if he does, and he most certainly will, I want him to be honest with us. I’m tired of what they on TV call that ‘spin’.”

“I agree with that.” I did see clips from that interview after Idol was over. “I also liked that he said we can’t have two sets of standards—one for what he called ‘prominent people’ and one for ‘ordinary citizens,’ though I wish he’d stop referring to the rest of us that way.”

“Darling, you’re losing sight of the big picture. Just like I was telling the girls downstairs at breakfast this morning. They too are concerned. But I told them, and I’ll tell you, don’t worry yourself so much about these kinds of things. We and the rest of the world are in big trouble, so big that we shouldn’t be criticizing him for his choice of words or his little missteps.”

“I agree with that too. Sorry. But that’s why I called. To talk about one of the big things. Maybe the biggest and most important thing—the stimulus package.”

“I’m listening.”

“Well, I heard that the bill the Senate is considering is on line.”

“I’m not following you.” I then remembered that though my mother, in spite of her age, is very up to date about most things, about computers and the Internet she is not so conversant; and so I said, “You can see the entire bill on your computer. Via the Internet. And since it’s been so criticized for being loaded up with pork barrel spending I wanted to see for myself what’s in it.”

“And what did you find?”

“First of all, it’s at least three hundred pages long. And though I didn’t read every word, to me it does look as if it is full of these kinds of things—every congressman’s favorite program. Worse, since I’m a Democrat, every Democrat’s pet project. And although I do know that these can provide jobs for people, it doesn’t look good from a political perspective, especially if President Obama is going to sign it. He will be accused of caving in to the forces of business-as-usual in the very first major piece of legislation he signs. Legislation that will probably define his presidency more than any other.”

“Are you sure you read the right version of the bill?”

“I’m not following you. It’s the one the Senate is considering.”

“Probably the one they passed in the House last week.”

“I’m still not following you. I found it on the Senate’s website. Again, on the computer,” I hastened to add as if that gave it extra validity.

“Well, that in fact must be the one the House voted for.”

“But why then is it on the Senate website? I thought they were working on their own version.”

“Clearly you’ve forgotten what you learned in your high school Civics class. You did take Civics, didn’t you?”

She very well knew that I did. “You mean about how a bill becomes a law?”

“Exactly. Tell me what you remember.”

“Bills like this one that have tax implications begin in the House and then they go to the Senate where they pass their own version and then if it is approved it goes to a committee made up of members from both houses; and if they can reach an agreement, and both houses pass the same version, it then goes to the president for signature. Of course at that point he can veto it and the Congress can try to overturn it. I do remember all of that.” I couldn’t believe I was reciting this to her as if on a final exam

“But since you tell me you’re worried about what is happening it sounds to me that you have forgotten the most important part.”

My mother had been a first grade teacher and some of that teacher tone and diction had crept into the way in which she was responding to me. But I chose to ignore that, though it always upset me when she spoke to me in that way—as if I were one of her first graders. Thus restrained, without attitude, I asked, “OK, so what am I forgetting?”

“You have the outline of how this works but you’re not remembering how things actually work—how they play the game in Washington as a bill moves through the process.”

“Go on.”

“In the case of this stimulus bill, since we know how smart Obama is, since it had to begin in the House of Representatives, rather than trying to tell them what to do, he, I feel, understood that Nancy Pelosi needed an opportunity early on in his presidency to show that even though there was at last a Democrat in the White House she still wanted to demonstrate her authority. She didn’t want to appear to be a rubber stamp for the new president. Sad, but that’s the way she is. And he also understood that many Democrats in the House had been frustrated that many of their favorite programs had not been adequately funded while Bush was president—he would veto any legislation that was dear to their hearts. Like more money for health care or education. Knowing this, Obama let House members fill up their version of the bill with money for these programs.

“He of course knew,” she continued, “that the House version would be criticized by Republicans who would be looking to end his honeymoon as soon as possible and by the media who didn’t want to appear to be too in love with everything he did. So Obama let things alone at that point. Which I myself think is very smart. As the girls do now. After talking with them this morning.” I heard her chuckle at that while I tried to imagine the table talk earlier in the day at Forest Trace—what my mother must have said to them to convince them not to worry about Obama.

“And now?” still unconvinced, I said, “To me he doesn’t seem to be doing all that much and, you’re right, the attacks on the bill and Democrats, even criticism of him, have become severe. You should see what they’re saying about him on The Daily Kos—a progressive blog. That’s why I called you in the first place—out of concern that things were not looking good for him. I hate to admit it, but to me too he’s looking passive. Too concerned with everything being bipartisan.”

“So then let’s get back to the civics lesson.” A little schoolmarmishness was again creeping back into her voice. Once more I chose to let it slide. “That’s only step one. Yes, the Senate will begin, they have begun, to work on the House bill. But, if they wish, they can virtually start from the beginning and write their own version. They won’t do this, of course, since the House will resent that and then there will be trouble once the committee gets their hands on it. But they will begin to take out some of the most obviously wasteful or politically controversial parts and they will add some of their own. Hopefully good ones. Ones that Obama wants to see in the final bill. You can see this already happening with them adding more help for homeowners.”

I agreed that I could see some of that. “So let’s just say,” my mother said, ”by the end of this week or next the Senate approves their version of the bill. But still it will be full of problems for the Obama administration, things Republicans and the people on TV can still pick on, and the public will still be asking, ‘Where’s the real change?’ You’ve been hearing that haven’t you?” I mumbled my assent.

“So then they go to the next step—the Senate–House committee that will be deigned to, I think they say, ‘reconcile’ the two versions.”

“And that’s where the deal-making will occur,” I jumped in to offer.

“Well, yes, in normal circumstances. But these are anything but ordinary circumstances. It will be important to see who gets appointed to the committee. The leaders do that and I am sure they will name mainly practical members. But even more important this will be the time when Obama and his people will get very involved. They will be up there at the Capital all the time this committee will be meeting. You’ll see Ronald Emanuel involved with House members [“Rahm.” I corrected my mother] and Joe Biden with his old Senate colleagues. This will be the time when the Obama administration will really say what they want. He is still seen favorably by about 75 percent of the public and he will still be in the first month of his presidency. There is not much likelihood that he won’t get most of what he wants. And that will be good if . . .”

“No ifs as far as I can see if you’re right about this.”

“As I was saying, this will be good if . . . only if it works.”