In President Obama's State of the Union address, he raised the profoundly important issue of public trust. He cited a lack of public trust in our institutions, in our government and in the media. He called for a recommitment to regain this trust.
To do that, we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust -- deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly and to give our people the government they deserve.
What he didn't say - or, perhaps, what he couldn't say - is that he can expect no help from the Republican Party. It is simply not in their interest to promote trust in government. In fact, it is fundamental to their goals of regaining and retaining power to aggressively promote distrust in government.
