Keller @ Large: Is Golf The Answer?

BOSTON (CBS) - There's been plenty of hand-wringing over the past week about the lack of leadership and inability to work together we've been seeing in Washington, and every bit of it has been justified.

But as baseball players who argue balls and strikes with the umpires will tell you, complaining only goes so far.

At some point, the focus has to be on solutions, creative, constructive…or otherwise.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

So it was with great interest that I read on the State House News Service  (subscription required) about remarks by Lt. Gov. Tim Murray - feeding the media beast this week while Gov. Patrick is on vacation - outlining what he thinks the feds ought to be doing to get their act together.

For starters, play more golf.

Murray approved of the recent round played by the president and House Speaker John Boehner, but thinks that "maybe they should be playing together once a week…When you get to know somebody, you're less likely to engage in some of these partisan attacks."

Interesting point by the LG, but is that really true?

Golf can be a very convivial experience, but this isn't always the case.

I have seen golfers on the course engaged in cursing, threats, and near-violence.

What if the Speaker steps in Mr. Obama's lie just before a crucial putt?

What if Boehner flubs his tee shot because the president's nuclear hotline phone rings during his backswing?

Isn't there a risk that the details of these golf outings will become fodder for more partisan attacks?

If Mr. Obama gives the speaker a gimme on one green and he returns the favor on the next, does that make both of them socialists?

And those two aren't the only important figures in the current DC gridlock.

You could round out the foursome with Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, but then what would you do with Nancy Pelosi?

No, while I appreciate Lt. Gov. Murray's focus on solutions, I'm not so sure a weekly golf game will fix this mess.

But it does answer one question – what does a lieutenant governor actually do?

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.