This was a visionary presidency with terrible eyesight, says Mo Rocca.

Question: Is it a president’s job to resolve moral issues?

Mo Rocca: Yes. I think the president is . . . The president is both . . . The president is . . . The presidency in the United States is fairly unique. It’s both the head of state and the head of government, and that’s pretty rare. The head of government . . . The head of government we expect to fulfill a litany of duties – get in there and do A, B, C, D, E, whatever. The head of state is special. The head of state is ideally a reflection of our better selves; a heightened version of the common man or woman; this person that kind of embodies all that America should be. And you know to George Bush’s credit he doesn’t stint on . . . on who he is. I mean he puts it out there to be embraced or rejected. And that’s what’s so weird is that the Bush administration . . . This is a side point, but the Bush administration is visionary. I mean no one could ever claim that there was anything incremental about this administration. It was . . . It’s been a visionary administration with terrible eyesight.

Recorded on: 2/14/08