by Paul Jacob

Presidents' Day came and went . . . and I didn't give my wife a present!

As you age, you forget these things.

In honor of George Washington, I could have given her a wooden smile, or retired after my second term as Taker-Outer of The Garbage.

In honor of Abe Lincoln, I could have grown a beard.

Or I could just have given her a box of chocolates.

Among my favorite presidents stands Grover Cleveland, a man of girth, the kind unlikely to pass up the chocolates (you can tell from pictures). His daughter, Ruth, first presidential offspring to be born in the White House, was honored with a popular chocolate bar named after her, the Baby Ruth.

So, next year, chocolates.

But Presidents' Day got me thinking. I notice that when historians choose the Greatest presidents, they tend to choose war guys, or those who increase the size of the government. (Surprise, surprise: these are often the same.) I prefer, on the other hand, presidents like Jefferson and Harding, politicians who actually decreased the scope and budgets of the federal government while in office.

Recent presidents have talked about following suit, but have yet to accomplish anything like it. That's why they aren't great presidents, if you ask me.

So, in this spirit of cutting back, maybe I shouldn't eat any of the chocolates I give. Maybe I should go on a diet.

With good health I might live long enough to see a president put the federal government on a diet.

Paul Jacob's "Common Sense" is published by the Sam Adams Alliance. Their website can be visited at www.samadamsalliance.org.