‘Gridlock’ should be no surprise

‘Gridlock’ should be no surprise

President Obama continues to decry the “gridlock” that has, in his opinion, paralyzed our legislature’s ability to function. What he fails to accept is that such gridlock is perfectly normal under the political atmosphere that exists in our country today.

The Constitutional design of our government was intended to provide checks and balances to prevent any one branch of government or any one political party to govern at the expense of another or to the exclusion of the minority. When our country is as sharply and almost equally divided on policy and direction as it is today gridlock is the normal result.

Sadly, the president’s allies in the Senate have elected to dramatically influence this balance of power by invoking the “nuclear option.“ This in spite of the fact that he himself (as a senator), his vice-president and his Senate Majority Leader once voiced strong opposition to such a maneuver when the Republicans controlled the legislature. What an interesting (however hypocritical and transparent) reversal of position and opinion.

Without intervention gridlock would continue until the citizenry embrace a clear and stronger majority opinion regarding the future direction of our country. This will occur naturally as the current ideology and policies in Washington are either more fully embraced or rejected by the voters.

Time and the outcomes delivered by such ideology and policies should be the only determinants in producing such a change in opinion. Invoking the nuclear option and applying a very “visible” hand to the balance of powers dictated by our Constitution is not the way to solve this problem.

Martin Dettmer

Wheaton