Q It’s been reported that in some of these meetings the President doesn’t want people to talk about the prospect of planning in the event that the Democrats take over Congress. Is that correct?
MR. FRATTO: I think the President has been very clear that he’s preparing for a Congress that has Republican leadership, and that’s the way we’ll continue to proceed. It’s the only way to proceed.
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Q You said that it’s the only way to proceed, to prepare for a Republican-controlled Congress. With such a close election, and with both parties recognizing how close it’s going to be, why not at least consider both alternatives?
MR. FRATTO: We’re still in the game, and — if you’re in the game, you’re in it to win.
Q But you don’t know the outcome of the game any more than I do, and —
MR. FRATTO: We feel confident about the outcome, and that’s the way we’re going to proceed.
Q Continuing the analogy, but government isn’t a game, and you are governing, and so your responsibility is to prepare for how to govern regardless of how it turns out. So it may be a game in the political sense, but it’s really not a game to Americans who want their government to be ready to do what needs to be done.
MR. FRATTO: He’ll be ready.
Q That means you’re preparing for the other outcome?
MR. FRATTO: We are ready. We are ready for — we’re ready for a — we’re ready to work with a Republican Congress. Nice try, Jennifer.
Q That would suggest not ready for a Democratic Congress.
MR. FRATTO: Questions? Anything else? Thank you.
I don’t have anything to add, that pretty much speaks for itself.
2 responses to ““But Government Isn’t a Game””
Personally, I think the thing to add is the observation that the White House sees the goal of the game – the outcome, the winning state – to be winning elections for the Republican Party. Is that what you want the purpose of your government to be? The acquisition and continuation of private power?
Personally, I want a government that considers itself to be “winning” by advancing the welfare of the American people, an outcome that is neither measurable by nor even related to elections.
I can only make little incoherent strangly noises and gurgles at politics lately. Oh, that, and a continuing stream of del.icio.us bookmarks.
It’s all a game, just seeing what good hits can be landed and what angles can be taken and over how many eyes what wool can be pulled. Too many elephants in the room. Ugh.