Millions of people around the world watched two global powerhouses conduct their most important business in public last week. One did it with dignity and respect. The other was the government of the United States.
The solemn transition marking the end of Pope Benedict’s reign stood in dramatic contrast to the seedy events in Washington.
It was the difference between something done right, with pride, and the undignified, embarrassing way our government does things these days.
When did it become standard procedure for American leaders to behave like contestants in a freak show? When did it become acceptable for a president to distort truth and scare the nation for the sake of a hollow political victory?
It’s no answer, or even an acceptable excuse, to defend the bitter sequester fight by saying the decisions are hard and the differences are real. Benedict made an excruciatingly hard decision, one that left him open to ridicule and could have rattled the Church and a billion followers worldwide.
Instead, Church leaders quickly mapped an exit process that was a model of grace. Despite the Vatican’s many problems and internal divisions, large crowds sent a pope off into retirement with extraordinary displays of love and gratitude.
TV cameras invited to the inner circle provided fascinating up-close moments of Benedict throughout his final day in public as the Church opened itself to a live audience for one of its most important occasions ever.
The result was a day of inspiration, with a potentially traumatic event transformed into a reaffirmation of the Holy See’s ultimate power. It is the power of love emanating from the army of the faithful who, in their wonderfully various ways, voluntarily embrace its teachings about this life and the next. Popes come and popes go, but the Church endures because its roots are secured in the hearts of its constituents.
Meanwhile, the elders of the American government are putting on a show of a very different kind. Seemingly determined to kill off the already-diminished confidence and trust of their constituents, they also seek out the cameras — but only to vilify opponents and blaspheme truth.
The crisis is manufactured, but the anger is all too real. Disputes that should be ordinary are treated as justification for total war. Conciliation is seen as weakness and victory is reserved for those willing to scorch the earth.
There were plenty of low points, but rock bottom came when President Obama and his Cabinet took turns declaring that modest trims in bloated budgets would spell disaster for virtually every family in America. With their participation in spreading this tissue of lies, the secretary of education, the attorney general and the secretary of homeland security stained their reputations and shamed their offices. Their performances recalled the way Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice parroted false talking points after the Benghazi terror attack.
In an earlier, better age, enterprising journalists would be curious about who in the White House conjures these fictions that are then foisted on the American people in the name of the president. They would dig for the work shop and roster of aides tasked with the job of misleading the nation.
Not now. Now outright lies are considered business as usual, at least as long as Barack Obama is the beneficiary.
But presidents, like popes, come and go, and when Obama leaves, his legacy will include a public that is less trusting of government power. It will be an incalculable loss because, in politics as religion, trust is the one necessary ingredient.
None of this is a demand for our political leaders to behave like religious ones. Render unto Caesar has its place, and church and state are rightly separate.
Yet it is reasonable to insist that our president and his aides show some respect. If not for their offices or opponents, then at least for the truth.
After all, the world is watching.
It’s all chris in Quinn-ipiac poll
Is Christine Quinn on her way to becoming mayor in a landslide? The polls say yes and they could be on to something.
The City Council speaker’s large lead, both in the Democratic primary and the general election, could mean the anticipated nail-biter after 12 years of Mayor Bloomberg will never materialize. While her role as the mayor’s de facto deputy gave her an early jump, she is doing much better than being a strong contender.
The latest Quinnipiac survey finds her at 37 percent in the primary, topping the support for her three major rivals combined and nearing the 40 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff. She wipes the floor with any Republican in the general.
Yes, it is early, but it’s getting late fast. And I’m starting to believe that Quinn’s lead is more than just a spike based on name recognition.
She’s methodically touching all the power bases, from the unions to business, to blacks, Latinos and Jews. She would be the first woman and first openly gay mayor, making her a natural choice for two big voting blocs. Among Democrats she leads in every borough and every group sampled — men, women, whites, blacks and Hispanics.
Most telling, over five Quinnipiac polls going back to last May, she steadily expanded her lead while Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Comptroller John Liu and former Comptroller Bill Thompson each remain stuck at about 10 percent.
Thompson’s stagnation is surprising because he is the only black candidate in the field and, as the party nominee four years ago, came close to an upset. Yet he pulls only 11 percent, and Quinn tops him among black Dems by 3 to 1.
None of this is good for the city. Unless she faces a strong challenge, Quinn will not have to answer for her checkered leadership of the council or her habit of chasing far-left causes. Competition is the lifeblood of democracy, but New York may be running dry at a terrible time.
Hell no, we won’t go – literally!
Protest ain’t what it used to be. High-tech honchos pushing immigration reform will hold a “virtual march,” meaning they can “rally” for the cause without leaving home. Sometime in the spring, maybe on a rainy day, organizers hope to flood congressional offices with messages on Twitter and Facebook, the AP reports.
Call it the Pajama Revolution.
Cyclists have the ‘wrong of way’
Standing on a Midtown street, I saw the most amazing thing: a car going the wrong way on Sixth Avenue in broad daylight.
OK, it wasn’t a car. It was a bicycle. And it wasn’t amazing. It happens all the time. How come nobody stops law-breaking cyclists?
Never mind, I know the answer: They are politically correct, so laws don’t apply to them.
Church, Lady
A friend makes a smart point about The New York Times. Its coverage of the Catholic Church echoes its coverage of the Republican Party. Both are damned because they oppose abortion and gay marriage. The lesson is clear: To get simple fairness from The Times, you must agree with The Times.