CBS 2 School: Re-cycled Gifts
After getting a sneak peak under President Barack Obama's Christmas tree, we hope he's content with a shiny new tricycle this year.
This tricycle will be a fitting gift for Obama as he celebrates his third Christmas since winning the 2008 presidential election. This tricycle also represents a unique evolution of Obama's presidency.
In the first Christmas after the 2008 election, Obama was showing off his brand-new unicycle. The country was mesmerized by Obama's steady ability to handle a tricky election by balancing between the liberal Democratic base and the more moderate mainstream voter.
But unicycle stunts only went so far in our constitutional system of checks and balances that needed to grind out legislation to tackle the country's economic woes.
By his second Christmas after the 2008 election, Obama built momentum on his new bicycle that featured two big wheels (the executive branch and the legislative branch) working together.
Obama had to pedal hard to move healthcare reform up and over steep legislative obstacles, but this impressive climb might have left him with little energy to battle through the rugged terrain of the 2010 midterm elections.
The legislative efficiency that resulted from one party controlling the presidency, Senate and House is now gone. Republicans were able to win the later stages of this political battle and recaptured a majority in the House of Representatives.
The President now has to ride this new tricycle.
It's still blue since the Democrats control the White House and U.S. Senate. But it's third wheel is smaller than the others since Republicans in the House will demand cuts in government spending to reduce the role of the Federal government.
This new gift will not be as flashy as a unicycle or as speedy as a bicycle, but Obama's recent tax-cut compromise shows he has the skills to maneuver this tricycle over a difficult course.
Of course, as we look ahead to Obama's fourth presidential Christmas, we expect that Santa will deliver a four-wheel ATV that Barack can run across the country to pursue 4 more years in office.
