Obama, Palin, McConnell New Year's Resolutions

Since I am incapable of keeping any of the New Year's resolutions I make for myself, I will take this opportunity to make them for other people.

For President Obama: Mix it up with Congress more often. One of the most significant things to happen in 2010 was the success of the president's lobbying effort to get the U.S. Senate to ratify the New START nuclear arms limitation treaty with the Russian Federation. It was one of the few times when the president put the pedal to the Senate metal and it really paid off. 71 Senators, including 13 Republicans, voted for the treaty which is amazing because the president had little luck getting 60 votes on anything else. [See photos of the Obamas behind the scenes.]

To Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: Think more about the future of the country and less about Barack Obama's political future. The GOP leader and his caucus made it clear in the 111th Congress that the main goal was to hurt the president politically. The Senate Republicans didn't even pay lip service to the idea of working with the president to solve the pressing problems facing the United States. This "Just Say No" strategy worked liked gangbusters in 2010 but the Party of Tea will be pushing its luck if it doesn't have an agenda of its own in 2011. [See editorial cartoons about the GOP.]

For Sarah Palin: Please run for president in 2012. I know Karl Rove and People for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals don't want her to run, but I do. The former half-term, half-baked governor of Alaska has a hit reality show but as viewers have tuned in voters have tuned out. According to anew CNN/Opinion Research poll her support from GOP and independent voters has dropped like a rock--a drop that has coincided with her tenure on TLC. If she does run, my prediction is that President Obama will offer her the use of Air Force One so that she can get as much exposure as possible. [See editorial cartoons about Sarah Palin.]

And finally for readers of the TJS blog, please keep those comments coming. I may not agree with them but I love reading them.

• See 2010: the Year in Cartoons
  
• Check out this month's best political cartoons.
• Follow the money in Congress
  

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