Obama's Second Chance

The election gave the President some leverage. Can he be creative with it?

By Joe Klein Monday, Jan. 21, 2013
    • Illustration by Oliver Munday for TIME

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    Coburn was close to Obama when they were both Senators. Not so much lately--a lacuna I'll lay on the President, who seems as antisocial when it comes to politicians postelection as he was before. (Indeed, the President should invite the Senate's entire Gang of Six over for an informal dinner and conversation about long-term thinking.) Coburn believes that it's not too late for Obama to lead. "He could lay out three specific goals he wants to achieve when it comes to Medicare reform," the Senator says, "and work with us to get there."

    But more is needed than that. What we really need right now is the exact opposite of the flagrantly witless conversation we've been having. We need a real plan to renovate the creaky welfare, regulatory, revenue and infrastructure components of our government. This does not simply mean a green-eyeshade look at how best to cut entitlements. It means a substantive move to make health care better, as well as less expensive. It means a renewed discussion of citizenship--whether people who get benefits, like food stamps or Pell Grants, from the government owe us some community service in return. It means a revised tax code with lower rates, fewer loopholes and higher taxes on polluters.

    Action on any of these issues is unlikely, but the conversation needs to start--and I'm hoping for a return of the early, visionary Obama to get it going in his second Inaugural Address.

    TO READ JOE'S BLOG POSTS, GO TO time.com/swampland

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