Obama's First Task: Restore Credibility

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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A cartoon from the Houston Chronicle caught the flavor.

A man standing in front of a burning building labeled "the economy" is shouting into a phone: "My house is on fire, how soon can you get here?"

A fireman who looks like Barack Obama answers, "January 20th."

Yes, we do get only one President at a time, and this is not a comment on who had the right idea on the auto bailout.

Rather, this is an observation on how ineffectual both Congress and the administration have become.

Years of political spin, rosy reports that never seem to match the pictures on television (remember "Brownie, you've done a heck of a job"), and endless partisan turf wars have left the country cynical and suspicious of everything Washington says and does.

So Washington is unable to generate the political will to do anything.

Government's credibility has sunk so low that the pronouncements - no matter how dire - from the lame duck President and the even more unpopular Congress go unheeded, if not unheard.

When Republicans killed the bailout bill, the Republican President was so lacking in influence he could only watch.

Yes, there's a new fire chief coming January 20th, but his first assignment is not to put out the economic fire. First, he must restore the government's credibility.

He might begin by just being candid. Don't over-promise, don't underestimate the difficulty of what's ahead, and please, no magic solutions or assurances that all of this can get done without sacrifice or inconvenience to any of us.

That's the one approach we have proven simply doesn't work.

[treknutz]

I''ve said it before and I will say it again, this divisiveness in the private sector will continue to drag down the country. Obama is making an attempt at new politics and the critics on both sides seem unwilling to give an inch. Republicans continue to resort to mis-information and delusional thinking because they are right and right and right but never wrong. They will not compromise on a single issue and use what ever they can to disrupt and divide. The Democrats are way too liberal when it comes to drugs, illegals, and punishment for criminals ie Bush and Cheney. What is needed is somthing to unite everyone, a platform for compromise and the ability to overcome this political stupidity of Us v Them.

I''m glad that I won''t see it in my life time but on the last day of mankind I''m sure both sides will be pointing fingers and the world will justifiably end in chaios. How stupid can we get? Aparently, not enough!

[kenhamlett]

The goal of restoring faith in government may be Obama''s hardest task but restoring faith in the economy and honest business can only be achieved in part by government. It was corruption and stupidity in the private sector along with the same in government that got us to this point. Both will have to improve before we can move forward.
The strange part is that this was entirely foreseeable and yet no one seems to be able to acknowledge that there was plenty of warning and time to turn it around. Both government and business let us down.
I am a firm believer that Obama will do what he can but business has so far failed to convince me that it will change for the better. Show me!

[cbscrash072]

Its hard to restore faith in a bunch of clowns. This is as much the Democrats fault as it is the Republicans. So all January 20th is is the current clown handing the keys to the next clown. Same thing in the senate. Most of the same clowns will be there and we will replace a few with new clowns. It might actually be funny if these clowns weren''t taxing the hell out of us and ruining our economy.

[runningralph]

labrat9999, Are you saying democracy is a messed up system? Just curious. Did you really mean to say that?

[labrat9999]

Still can''t believe I''m reading stuff that people write here in support of Bush and the Republicans. Not sure how far this economy and the future of America has to sink before these people are willing to look in the mirror and admit they made this mess! Unless of course, the very people writing here are George Bush and Republican party members trying to make the rest of us believe they are just common people like the rest of us. Judging from how much they can''t or havent'' gotten accomplished I can actually see GW sitting at his PC now rebutting those of us that really see the problems and who really made them. By the way, he was smart enough to know it was a size 10 shoe that was thrown at him. Of course in Texas I''m sure that the same as someone throwing flowers, right? I mean we did bring democracy to Iraq right? They should be thankful they can share in our messed up political system, right?

[tburzio]

"I am not a crook!"

Was this said by:
A) Richard Nixon
B) Barak Obama
C) All of the Above

[despido]

Okay here''''s your chance of great Trailer Dweller! Put on your latest version of the Klan''''s thinking cap and tell us exactly WHAT has our new, very intelligent President denied? ROFLMAO What a bunch of LOSERS you freaks are!! ROFLMAO
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Obama denied having ever heard a sermon from the racist preacher he donated $20k a year to for 20 years; he denied knowing who Ayers was when he accepted a political coming out party; he denied knowing Rezco was under indictment when involved in a questionable money transaction; he denied discussing his Senate replacement with the governor of Illinois while running for president. Now, before YOU deny these, understand this... Either Obama is in fact the dumbest, most uninformed politician to come down the pike in a really ling time OR he is one helluve a liar.

[inketolstoy]

I''ll bet that that talking dog discussed earlier has more credibility than most Republicans or Democrats. Obama isn''t even in office yet and we have how many investigations going on now? Don''t blame the party, blame the idiots voting these idiots in (us). If ou want to spend your time attacking people for something as insignificant as a party affiliation, join a European soccer club. If you want a better country, vote for the best person, not the party you have attached yourself to.

[cariboubarbi]

After Bush, restoring credibility to the White House is a very tall order.

[runningralph]

irmcvet971, I remember you. You are the man that said about a year or more ago that the US had been taken over by a coup, that Bush had seized the Supreme Court, and your dog didn''t believe in some government monetary policy. How is your dog, lately? She still giving you your political insight? Well let her chew on this. George W. Bush will go down in history as the Liberator of Iraq and Afghanistan, Strong Resistor of Jihad, Champion of Democracy, Prompt Succor of Africa, Survivor of Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune and with the bailout of the auto industry, Saviour of Labor Unions.