Keller @ Large: 'Leaders' Won't Set Egos Aside

BOSTON (CBS) - Here's a comment from President Obama that he's been fond of repeating lately:

"Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties in order to grow the economy and create jobs."

Listen to Jon's commentary:

I couldn't agree more!

But let's face it, no one in the leadership of either party in Washington really believes that, including the president.

In fact, they prove time and time again they are experts at putting aside everything but the politics, and making decisions that have everything to do with partisan advantage and nothing to do with us.

The latest example played out yesterday when the White House asked the House speaker for the OK to address a joint session of Congress next Wednesday night at eight to lay out his latest job-creation ideas.

Something was fishy about this request; according to news accounts, it was leaked to the press before the speaker had a chance to respond to it.

And it turns out that, lo and behold, it would directly conflict with a much-hyped Republican presidential candidates debate set to air on national TV.

A "coincidence," says the president's press secretary.

Of course it was.

So Speaker Boehner fired back with his own absurd spin, the claim that the logistics of that date and time were impossible for the House to handle, and so the president should move his speech to Thursday - up against a special NFL season-opening game that, regrettably enough, would likely draw huge numbers of viewers away from the president.

The Democrats say the Republicans have demonstrated the "most disgraceful proof yet that their priority is playing politics."

The Republicans say the president has cemented his reputation as "campaigner-in-chief."

Appallingly, they're both right.

And while this scheduling debate will quickly disappear, the news that in the last two days, both Democrats and Republicans on the "supercommittee" that is supposed to solve our budget problems in a bi-partisan fashion have been meeting in partisan caucuses, suggests a chronic problem that won't fade away -- the inability of an entire generation of political non-leadership to set its egos aside, even for a second.

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.