A New Era of Responsibility

By Sniffles

As President Obama travels around the world, cleaning up messes left by George W. Bush, we cats are struck by his continuing leadership theme in the wake of eight years of Republican rule:

Let's all act like grownups for a change.

While our Republican friends would probably point to Bill Clinton as a supreme case of arrested adolescent development, we'd like to remind them that the things President Clinton was immature about wouldn't get the world blown up — or skyscrapers brought down. (Heck, it didn't even blow up his marriage.)

Since Clinton's time, however, the Bush Administration and the Republican Party carried towel-snapping and frat-boy behavior to new heights. And it's been bad for America.

So we'd like to take a moment to make the following observations about recent elephantine conduct — and its consequences.

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany was probably thrilled to attend an international summit without receiving an unwanted Presidential backrub.

It's not a good idea to punish a key Middle Eastern ally just because it doesn't support your pre-emptive invasion of a nonbelligerent country based on lies.

If you're thinking about running for President in 2012, it probably diminishes you to have to respond to tabloid stories about your messy personal family life.

If you're caught doing something wrong and initially agree to admit it and take your lumps, follow through. Don't try to squirm out of it later. It only makes you look more like the asshole you are.