Thanks for Missing Those Birthday Parties and Soccer Games

It's fair to say that in these anti-government times, President Obama usually doesn't go out of his way to praise federal employees. But he did today. In a speech to Environmental Protection Agency workers, who have been caught in the political crossfire of late, offered words of thanks that (I think not coincidentally) could apply to civil servants generally.

From his remarks:

There's not a federal agency that can't get better and be smarter in accomplishing our mission, and we have an obligation every single day to think about how can we do our business a little bit better. How can we make sure the taxpayers are getting every dime's worth that they're paying in order to achieve these important common goals that we have?

But I believe we can do it, and you've shown me that we can do it over these last three years. So I could not be prouder of the work that you all do every single day as federal employees. I know the hours can be long. I know that sometimes spending time getting these policies right means less time at home than you'd like, and you're missing birthday parties, or you're missing a soccer game, and the spouse is not happy with you. I know a little bit about that sometimes. I know these jobs are demanding.

But I also know what compelled you to enter public service in the first place -- and that's the idea that you could make a difference; that you could leave behind a planet that is a little cleaner, a little safer than the one we inherited.