Only a year after his big win in the 2012 presidential election, President Barack Obama appears to be the lamest of ducks. His poll numbers are spiraling downward and Democrats in Congress are starting to grow louder in their demands he change his signature federal health-care law.
While most presidents struggle in their second term, Obama has compounded his problems by remaining loyal to incompetent, troublesome and politically radioactive members of his administration like U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. With Republicans calling for Holders impeachment and Sebelius plagued by the continuing problems associated with the health care rollout and the flawed Healthcare.gov website, Obama should take a lesson from the greatest American presidents and cut ties with these two Cabinet members.
Anyone familiar with Abraham Lincolns presidency knows he had no problems letting go of Cabinet members when he had to. Simon Cameron, the master of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, helped deliver the Keystone State to Lincoln at the 1860 Republican convention and was rewarded by being made secretary of War. When Camerons incompetence and corruption hindered Union operations at the start of the Civil War, Lincoln banished him to serve as minister to Russia. Even more helpful Cabinet members like Salmon P. Chase at Treasury and Attorney General Edward Bates were let go when their political usefulness ended for Lincoln.
Lincoln was quick to remove Army commanders as well, abandoning the likes of Irvin McDowell, George B. McClellan, Ambrose Burnside, Fighting Joe Hooker, William Rosecrans, Don Carlos Buell and others after defeats or when it became politically necessary. Even John Fremont, who had been the Republican presidential candidate four years before Lincoln was nominated, was quickly removed from command. While some generals with heavy political ties like Nathaniel P. Banks and Ben Butler kept getting assignments and finding new ways to lose battles, Lincoln was generally quick to pull the trigger on even old friends in uniform like David Hunter, John McClernand and John Pope.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was also quick to ditch subordinates when he had to. While he won four presidential elections, FDR had three vice presidents. FDR couldnt stand the conservative Texan John Nance Gardner who actively undermined his efforts to pack the Supreme Court in 1937 and was glad to dump him from the 1940 Democratic ticket. Despite his personal affinity for the man, FDR sacrificed Henry Wallace, Garners replacement as VP, to appease moderates and Southern Democrats in 1944.
While there were some members of his administration that FDR remained loyal to -- Harold Ickes, Harry Hopkins, Frances Perkins and Henry Morgenthau come to mind -- he also had no problem cutting bait on others. Political heavyweights like Jesse Jones, Harold Johnson, Joe Kennedy and Jim Farley were cast aside when FDR deemed it was time to cut ties.
On the other hand, presidents who remain loyal to problem appointees often pay the price. George H. W. Bush remained loyal to Dan Quayle even as polls showed the vice president dragging down his numbers in 1992. Bush also kept old friend Nicholas Brady at Treasury for his entire presidency despite the poor economy. Franklin Pierce was the only president in American history to serve a full term without replacing a Cabinet member, but nobody cites him as an effective president.
In contrast to his rival Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, who served as Pierces secretary of War, was often too loyal to his underlings. Davis placed too much faith in his subordinates, including Christopher Memminger at Treasury and James Seddon at War, who proved to be political liabilities. Relying too often on old friends, Davis kept incompetent generals like Braxton Bragg, John Pemberton and Theophilus Hunter Holmes in command of armies for far too long -- and the Confederate cause paid the price.
Obama showed strong loyalty to Joe Biden, keeping the vice president in place despite calls to replace him with Hillary Clinton in 2012. While still making gaffes, which have plagued him in his four decades on the national stage, Biden rewarded Obama by being a tireless campaigner and a loyal advocate for the president and his policies. But Holder has become an albatross around Obamas neck with his role in the Fast and Furious scandal and refusing to address Congress on the matter; failing to investigate IRS leaks involving political enemies of the Obama administration; and lying to Congress over investigating journalists working for Fox News. With far fewer Americans than anticipated signing up so far into Obamas health-care program and major problems with navigators and Healthcare.gov, Sebelius has clearly dropped the ball at Health and Human Services.
Obama should take a page from the likes of Lincoln and FDR and dismiss Holder and Sebelius. Whatever their uses and abilities, they have both become major liabilities for Obama who still has three years left in the White House.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
