OBAMA'S LEADERSHIP.

Talking about leadership, there is a young man who has demonstrated it in more ways than one; and that person is President Barack Obama. Despite all the criticisms being heaped on him by media pundits of all kinds, he has managed to exemplify himself as a powerful proponent of fairness.

His news conference last Thursday depicted him as not just a strong leader, but also as a knowledgeable one at that.

In those exchanges, he answered all questions in detail, and with the precision of a well versed politician, who was not interested in pleasing his audience with rhetoric, but to bring it (audience) along to see at close hand what was at stake, in terms of the seriousness of the country's problems.

He was driving directly at getting the country to survive the enormous fiscal problems it was facing; yet, there were stumbling blocks that needed to be surmounted. They have been placed in his way to impede any progress he made; but he was not daunted.

On foreign policy, the Libyan crisis has not been characterized as "war"; not by America's European allies or the United Nations. He has gone in to stop a massive bloodshed.

What Congress should do to help resolve the problems confronting the country was not to be ideologically indifferent, nonchalant or closed minded; but it must be flexible, and be able to absorb what was being disseminated around the world, in terms of what was required to bring people of diverse backgrounds together to solve problems. It must also learn to be more cooperative.

He had repeated his ideas markedly using several instances, some of which were just metaphorical.

In addition to that, it (Congress) must refrain from dragging its feet on every issue that the institution has the responsibility to undertake to fulfill its obligations as representing the people. "Let's be realistic in all our deliberations," he seemed to reiterate.

Instead, it has chosen to oppose every statute the Obama administration has tried to implement, such as a universal or comprehensive Healthcare; and the government's insistence on rich citizens paying their fair share of taxes to bolster the dwindling revenue sources caused by two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Congressional Republicans will not include tax hikes on the rich in the talks to raise the debt ceiling, to enable the government to meet its International and other fiscal bill payments; at least not in time to avoid a default; and also in order not to make the fighting off the enormous deficit, which was forcing a fragile economy to teeter on the brink of a situation resembling that of the Great Depression, any easier.

The Obama government is emphasizing that if there is going to be any budget cuts, they must be accompanied by raising taxes as well. Cuts and taxes must be effective enough to include every person in the country. Sacrifices must be made by all; and therefore, the tax loopholes that Corporations and the rich are taking advantage of must be closed, to balance the onslaught on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other such programs, which will be downgraded in some cases as a result of the cuts.

The budget gap is the most salient factor energizing unemployment levels to remain high; and the cost of living is rising from double digit inflation, due to the upheavals in the overall global economy. Americans are complaining of high gas and food prices; and such unwelcome circumstances affecting their lives are clearly unacceptable, and they must be dealt with, without delay.

All in all, President Obama has been on the forefront in the fight to get the economy to revert to where it has to be, for unemployment to slide farther down to at least 8.2%.

However, has he tackled or grappled with the economic problems, with the determination he needs to overcome them? Has he shown any leadership in his handling of the nation's economic affairs? "No, not at all,"; his assailants are insisting.

In fact, this is what his enemies are saying about his leadership, after his news conference last Thursday, during which he has vehemently chided the opposition for its reactionary behavior,

“He compares us to schoolchildren and then complains about his own workload. He tells us to stay and do the job and then leaves for Philadelphia to raise money. He jeopardizes a deal on his own debt ceiling increase over tax increases during a recession and then says we’re not acting in the best interest of the country,” one senior House GOP aide told Power Play. “This is the opposite of leadership.” (Fox News. July 1, 2011).

Many Americans, however, are of the opinion that he has, and continues to show true leadership in all his responsibilities as president of the United States. Although, still very young, he is "true grit". There is no question about that.

Yet, there is very little or nothing he can do to pacify his detractors.