Actually, it was a private letter, from Porter to the President. But I liked it so much I begged permission to post it.
Mr. President,
Congratulations on your re-election. I believe you now have 80 days to establish your legacy. Just as it took a “conservative” Nixon to open the door to Red China and a “liberal” Democrat—Clinton—to establish welfare reform and NAFTA so, I believe, it will take the “champion of the 47%” to effectively reform (which is to say cut) Social Security and Medicare.
This coming lame duck session is your best hope to get this started. With Joe Lieberman and others retiring they have a chance to do what is right for the country as opposed to what will get them elected in the next cycle. I believe these next 80 days will establish your legacy—as the President who courageously faced the “fiscal cliff” with meaningful reform—or as the President who muddled along relying on QE3, 4, 5 ad infinitum to inflate away the national debt and the national greatness. Please take on the challenge.
Respectfully yours,
It can happen. If President Obama has the will, the strength, and the courage he can lead his party to make the difficult but necessary choices that they would never have agreed to under a Republican president. The Republicans will do well to support and encourage him in this, verbally and by making their own painful compromises. The object is not to "win," not to score points, it's not even to get (re)-elected. The object is to climb out of this economic pit and leave for our children an economy that is strong, sane, stable, and just. The blame for this pit is well spread among Democrat and Republican; rich and poor; financial institution, big business, and average American. The sooner we admit that, the sooner we can make progress. If there is a fair solution to be found, it will succeed only insofar as it inspires everyone to participate—and yes, to sacrifice—beginning with those who by running for office made the choice to assume the responsibilities of leadership.
The American Dream was never about getting rich, nor about security, but about a country where hard work and thrift were rewarded by opportunity, and about parents whose goal was not their own comfort but the well-being of their children and grandchildren.
Dare to dream, Mr. President. Dare to be a leader!
