Wanted: Another President like Grover Cleveland

One of my favorite Presidents was Grover Cleveland. He is one that is largely neglected by the media and historians today, which are indicators of their own as being someone I would likely admire. He is the only President to not serve his terms sequentially, being both the 22nd (1885 to 1889) and 24th (1893 to 1897) President.

Cleveland was not driven by populist notions, but by principle. He saw serving in office as a sacred responsibility, stating that "Your every voter, as surely as your chief magistrate, exercises a public trust." Cleveland was different in his style and substance. While today's President's were quick to make promises, Cleveland made commitments, stating "Though the people support the government; the government should not support the people." He simply did not believe that philanthropy was the role of the federal government according to the US Constitution.

Cleveland was a stickler when it came to that Constitution and he set a hard standard for other Presidents to maintain. History showed that most would not. Dr. Burt Folsom, in his excellent book, New Deal or Raw Deal, pointed out that "In the 1800s, voluntary organizations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army were formed to give food, shelter, clothing, and spiritual help to individuals and groups that faces crises. Sometimes, of course, Congress was tempted to play politics with relief. In 1887, for example, several counties in Texas faced a long drought and some farmers lost their crops. Texas politicians helped cajole Congress into granting $10,000 worth of free seeds for these distressed farmers in Texas. After the bill passed the Senate and House, Cleveland vetoed it, saying, 'I can find no warrant for such an appropriating in the Constitution,' Cleveland said. Such aid would 'destroy the partitions between proper subjects of Federal and local care and regulation.' He added, 'Federal aid, in such cases, encourages the expectations of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character.'" Cleveland believed the American people would not abandon its fellow citizens in the Lone Star state. Folsom noted Cleveland's response, "the friendliness and charity of our countrymen can always be relied upon to relieve their fellow citizens in misfortune."

Cleveland could not be more accurate in his predictions. People not only gave, but did so at a level beyond the imagination of the Texas farmers and the politicians who represented them. Fellow Americans from all over the country gave gifts exceeding $100,000. That amount was more than ten times the amount Congress had tried to take from the taxpayers. The Founding Fathers never saw a "charity" role for government, that perspective was validated in both word and deed by Cleveland's courageous veto and his belief in the American people.

Writer Lawrence W. Reed has noted that "Grover Cleveland proved an exceptional president not because of the experience he brought to the federal government but because of two things that matter much more - character and principles." This was seen in his decision to avoid the politically expedient in pursuit of what was right.

Kevin Price is a syndicated columnist whose articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media. Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Barack Obama: A Progress Report

Recently I invited friends of my radio show and other media to explain how they would grade President Barack Obama's first 100 days. The response was huge. This has become a popular past time lately with radio personalities, policy experts, and people standing around the water cooler. I thought I should ride this trend.

I have noticed that most of the discussions have been largely arbitrary and without specific criteria. People generally agree that the idea behind a report card is to judge the President's performance, but on what basis? Since every President swears to defend the Constitution, that should be its criteria. Furthermore, since this President is still serving his term and has not completed it, this is better described as a "progress report." With that, here are a few areas worth consideration:

• Economic integrity. Unfortunately, most people are unaware about what the US Constitution has to say about government spending, but I encourage readers to start with a short visit with Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. There they will find around eighteen areas that the government is aloud to operate in and none of them are that sexy or expensive. One will find post offices, post roads, and standard weights and measures. Anything beyond issues such as these were to be left to the states and the citizens thereof. One can probably argue that one cannot expect a politician to purely apply these principles, but this Administration is only furthering the rapid expansion of government in a way we haven't seen and into new roles (such as socialized medicine, the government take over of energy, and other programs). Grade: F


• Fiscal responsibility. In the early 1980s I worked on a project to protest the government's action to increase the national debt to $1 trillion. This was a debt that took almost 200 years to reach. In a breath taking move, this Administration's budget will increase that debt by $1 trillion a year. Furthermore, the Administration has established a debt ratio that is comparable to what is common in third world countries. Grade: F


• Monetary policy. In order to fund a government that is growing out of control financially, the United States increasingly looks like a debtor nation going to foreign country with hat in hands and asking other nations to bail them out. China alone holds almost $800 billion of that debt in Treasury Securities. However, what the US government cannot get other nation's to finance, the Administration will likely use monetizing the debt as a part of its solution. We have already seen a move in this direction with the federal government increasing the money supply by $1.4 trillion in one day. This type of policy will eventually lead to hyperinflation. Grade: F


• National Security. Obama is sending a very strong message to the world of being a very weak President when it comes to his relationship with the rest of the world. He allowed himself to twice be embarrassed in a photo op with Hugo Chavez, he has blown empty rhetoric at increasingly aggressive (and nuclear) Iran and North Korean regimes, he is providing relief for the Communist government at Cuba by allowing US citizens to support citizens there, and he is dramatically cutting defense spending as our nation fights two wars. Grade: F


• Behavior. Most people don't remember the important "attitude" or "behavior" aspects of a progress report, but it is extremely important in this case. Obama has consistently appointed Cabinet members with an incredible level of arrogance and hypocrisy (we have a Secretary of the Treasury, the person in charge of IRS, who didn't pay his taxes). Furthermore, he is creating Czars through out his Administration who are not subject to Congressional scrutiny, which goes against his own mandate of honest government. Grade: Unsatisfactory.

Virtually everyone I have met of all parties are very concerned about the direction this nation is going. Even Democrats have told me that they "wanted more government, but not this much." Some who have voted for OBama are anxiously looking forward to opportunity to vote again and vote different. That process can begin in 2010 when people can change the composition of the Congress and begin to hold this Administration more accountable.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on CNN 650 (M-F at 11 am), AOL Radio, and CBS Radio. Eric Bolling of Fox News and Fox Business says that Price’s Blog “is very influential and moves the blogosphere.” Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.