James Florio Quotes
Legislatures react. Executives initiate.
On his wide-ranging initiatives as Governor:
James J. Florio, U. S. Congressman (Democrat, NJ), New Jersey Governor (Democrat), Quoted in Time, May 2, 1990
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Professor Neustadt had served on the staff of President Harry S Truman so he had a practical perspective from which he spoke in addition to his scholarship.
This was the President’s original role regarding legislation. However, in the 20th century, Presidents have become more active and suggest laws and often initiate the process and then end it by signing the law that he suggested and shepherded through the Congress. But this was never the vision of the Founding Fathers, but since it is not addressed in the Constitution is not an unconstitutional process.
He was referring to the President of Egypt in the midst of the Egyptian soft revolution of 2011. Wisner had been asked by the President to tell the corrupt and dictatorial President of Egypt to step down quickly. A few days later, Wisner gave a speech calling for the 30 year Egyptian dictator to finish out his term so he could “steer the changes”. He claimed that he was not speaking for the administration in this speech but it was a personal view. However, the speech created much world confusion as to what the US administration policy actually was. The quotation illustrates one of the problems of conducting diplomacy in a free democracy. A president asks a citizen to represent him; he does, and then turns around and undercuts the very position he was supposed to take. In many counties such an disloyal act would be considered treason but in America there is nothing the administration could do about it, other than to say that the Munich speech was contrary to US policy.
He was referring to the Controversial regulations issued in the 2nd week of the Truimp Administration.. It was the first acttion by President Trump that involved managment and operation of something. It was very badly handled where the epople who had to impliment it in many cases didn't have the same interpretation as the White House. And then the White hosue reversed their interpretation of various aspects when they realized that there were some unanticipated consequences. Not all the government employees agreed with the policy and the usual coordination throughout the government and there was no oppoprtunty for the middle managers to lead their subordinates in implementing the policy. As Baker observed, Government is very different from business and Trump never had any business experience. In American history, there had only been one other President was a wealthy and successful businessman--Herbert Hoover--and he had his difficulties.
James Joseph Florio is an American Democratic politician who served as the 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994, the first Italian American to hold the position (he is of half-Italian ancestry). He also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for 15 years between 1975 and 1990.
