Red and Blue Bruises for the Governors

     Another bastion of political problem solving somewhat devoid of partisan wrangling--the National Governors' Conference--has taken a partisan hit. Not in the confines of the meeting rooms or conference room halls but to the press near the White House steps. Jindal launches into Obama and prompts a scathing Malloy retort. Almost like two children trying to find blame for their recess being cut short.  Whether Obama on the recovery has waved the white flag is for history to decide and not for the press to be handed yet another example by Jindal and Malloy of political dysfunction.
     If the Blues and Reds can take a deep breath and open up their history books to why Ike was swept into office in 1952. The Korean War was at a stalemate--Chinese and Americans killing each other by the thousands for not shifting of the lines and no end in sight short of the U.S. going nuclear and putting China back into the Stone Age. Ike stated "I will go to Korea, implying he would and could solve the stalemate just like he had led the Great Crusade to breach Fortress Europe and bring about with the Russians the demise of the Third Reich.  Even if the Reds sweep the Senate, without the ability to work with Obama in his last two years, it takes little imagination to in 2016 see another Ike like pronouncement from one Hillary Clinton to the effect that "I will go to Washington." coupled with like 1952 a shift back to the Blues in the House and Senate. For this poet, that would be a very bad state of affairs. This is the time for leaders not politicians interested only in their careers!
Reds and Blues Bruise, We All Lose
It was with great sadness on the Governors' Conference to learn
Growing signs now present of the D.C. culture of slash and burn
With state capitals not from their residents so very remote
With an inability to print money and bonds often needing citizen votes
Tempered and coated with a term limit trend
Recalls to away from office politicians send
States have been often blessed with the absence of gridlock
Rhetoric and rancor that got in the way often onto the chopping block
Problems to address, solutions from both sides to evolve
A sense of common purpose, a sense of common resolve
No longer, as it seems the Potomac fever has spread
Governors into two camps, one Blue and one Red
Partisanship is like a cancer overcoming the civil and practical resolution cells
Spreading to choke off compromise and solutions pushing States into a my-way-or-the- highway hell
The States used to be viewed as the laboratories of how to experiment
Not the Potomac to win at all cost to toss the opposite colors into the cement
Trickle down economics has by many been under attack
Now trickle down politics seems on the same track
Mimic the White House and Congress and what do the States get
A disaster we mere mortals would like to wash our hands of and forget
Is the Mayors' Conference the next battleground of the Reds and Blues?
Where reason, civility, and common goals have sunk into the partisan slough?
City Councils, County Boards, School Districts the Potomac virus to soon infect?
Partisanship to inflame, reason, compromise, solutions to reject?
Then we as a country have not a chance to cross the ribbon in any recovery race
We will be lucky even to leave the blocks much less end up even in last place.
Time for leaders not spoiled children eager to protect and advance their careers
Who can only pander to their base with personal attacks, appealing to voters' fears.
© February 26, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet