Our president said he would like to be a transformational president, someone more similar to Ronald Reagan than Bill Clinton or Richard Nixon.

His words were "I don't want to present myself as some sort of singular figure. I think part of what's different are the times. I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn't much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think people, he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing."

The time is now, Mr. President.

The issue, however, is not health care reform. It's also not foreign policy, global warming or even the economy. The issue is leadership.

We're at a time in which congressional leaders from both parties are bailing, because it's just not fun or rewarding to serve anymore. This may or may not be a bad situation. A change of faces can lead to more enlightened thinking. But if the underlying work conditions don't change, if the toxic rhetoric doesn't tone down, even the creative thinkers are likely to follow suit and retreat. There is simply too much partisan politics. It's not the philosophical differences that are so overwhelming, but the tone that gives so little hope for resolution.

Philosophically, our-two party system has provided ample opportunity for vigorous debate. That's good. We become stronger as a result of our system. Please don't mistake this call for leadership as a plea for stopping the debate. Questions always will need to be asked and answered.

When you were elected to this country's highest office, you certainly entered as the most powerful Democrat. You also entered as the most powerful American, regardless of political affiliation.

Conditions are such today that your allegiance to your party should come second to your allegiance to your country. With the exception of the really strong voices to the left and right, a good portion of this country resides in the middle on political issues. Our voices are the ones not being heard. You are our best hope.

Think about it. If you truly desire to be a transformation president, and I believe that's true and also a very admirable goal, then no single conversation is more important that using your voice, your office, to pull Congress together to start representing their constituents and not their parties.

It's not just one party at fault. It's both. Those who surround you probably believe that the Republicans are the party of no, who will oppose anything with a Democratic label. Ever heard the word filibuster? Those who surround Rush and Shawn probably believe that Democrats are equal doses of belligerent and arrogant to try to push such a social agenda change when the economy is tanking.

Sadly, it's not about government working together to improve the lives of our citizens. In the political world of absolutes, it's about being of the higher calling, which means knowing how wrong the opposition is. And, not to be overlooked, it's about being elected.

So please, Mr. President, be above the caustic babble. This country cannot afford you to sit on the sidelines. We believe that our glass is half full. We believe that there are solutions to our challenges. We believe that as our president, you are our best hope to start a truly transformational movement in which our parties work together on the nation's business. If you achieve that, all those other issues such as social reform and the economy will take care of themselves.

Can we count you in, Mr. President?

Rick Bean is publisher of The Herald-Sun. Contact him by e-mail at rbean@heraldsun.com.