" Who Is Your Idol?"

Last night American Idol did the songs of Frank Sinatra. Most of my readers know I'm an Italian-American, and Frank Sinatra is just short of a deity to many of us. I'm a huge Sinatra fan; some like Crosby, and that's fine, but nobody can make a song as personal as Francis Albert did.

All the contestants did their best last night, yet I couldn't keep my mind focused on their performances without comparing them to the "Master".

Simon Cowell was given a monogrammed handkerchief that was Frank's, and he was visibly moved, he is a fan. Sinatra is a measuring stick for singers, and he will be for generations to come; he was larger than life. Those who wish to be great try to emulate greatness.

Abraham Lincoln is well known to be an admirer of George Washington and said he wished to lead as Washington did. Washington was there at the birth pangs of our nation, leading men, with little more than raw courage, in victory over the most powerful nation on the earth. His wisdom is quoted to this day as a template for responsible government. Lincoln used Washington as his "measuring stick" for leadership; he wanted to emulate Washington's greatness.

Today, in Washington, we have a man in office who seems to wish to emulate Jimmy Carter, or perhaps Lyndon Johnson. Huge spending programs of government entitlement, high unemployment, ambiguous defense policies, and falling support from the majority of Americans. These two were not exactly Washington-like in their governing ability, and it appears that Barack Obama is going down the same road. Even as he sees that his policies are not being well received by the public, Mr. Obama continues to pursue his agenda of enlarged debt and social entitlement programs. "Avoid entangling alliances" and small government was some of the advice George Washington gave to those who wished to govern this nation. Today, that is still good advice; perhaps Mr. Obama could glean some knowledge from George. If you emulate failed policy, what outcome can you expect? Aim at Washington and forget Carter or you may end up the same way the "peanut farmer" did!