Joe Lane
Recently, the news cycle has been laser-focused on the failed health insurance bill, the American Health Care Act. Fewer than 100 days into the Trump presidency, the GOP has all but given up on repealing and replacing Obamacare. The president, who claimed he would be the best dealmaker this country has ever seen, is not only wrong, he is far from correct. In fact, Donald Trump may be one of the worst deal-making presidents we’ve ever had.The irony of Trump — coauthor of The Art of the Deal — being unable to get votes for his health care bill is astounding. In defense of Trump’s deal-making ability, the American Health Care Act is an abomination that does little to improve upon the flaws of Obamacare. It would be difficult for any president or business person to get the “deal” approved.
However, one of Trump’s grandest campaign promises was the swift repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Citing his deal-making prowess as one of the key factors for the quick move, Trump had millions of people believing him. His failure has me asking several questions, most prominently, has Trump even read The Art of the Deal? Are there any other books the president hasn’t read but probably should?
In addition to The Art of the Deal, I would recommend that Trump pick up a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee’s classic novel addresses a number of issues with which the president seems to struggle, in particular, the social mindfulness that Atticus Finch instills in his children. This theme is one that has been taught in high schools around the country for decades. Furthermore, the dynamic among social classes in Maycomb teaches valuable lessons in compassion and understanding. And while I would not go as far as to say Trump lacks a conscious, he would be well-served to have a retooling of his moral compass.
But why stop there? It is clear that many of America’s politicians are somewhat distant from the people they have been elected to serve. The amazing power of books is their ability to shed light on real-world problems through storytelling.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, for example, should read Les Misérables. A story-turned-musical about revolution in France, I believe Les Mis is perfect for Ryan because it addresses a group of young men who are willing to die for their cause. This is not to say that Ryan should be willing to die for his causes but rather, he should have loyalty to the causes that have created his rise to power. When Trump was selected as the Republican presidential candidate, Ryan expressed his concern with the former’s ability to be presidential. In order to defeat Hillary Clinton, however, Ryan quickly gave up on his opposition and — at the same time — sacrificed his morals.
It’s not just Republicans, however, who should visit the library more frequently. For example, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., from my home state should probably read an entire curriculum’s worth of law textbooks. While I don’t necessarily think that Franken’s line of questioning for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch was out of line, I do believe the members of the Judiciary Committee ought to have a legal education. That being said, Iowa’s own Sen. Chuck Grassley (the head of the Judiciary Committee) does not have a law degree.
Maybe these politicians were taught these books in high school. Maybe not. It’s time for them to either revisit them or pick them up for the first time.