My high school basketball coach used to say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” That battle cry should be our mantra as the leaders of the United States of America at this critical moment in history.

We all know the fundamentals are not good, the price of a gallon of gasoline is too high and unsustainable, the housing market is in a slump, shooting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq continue to extract blood, sweat and tears, health care is not accessible to all and too expensive for many. Overall, times are really tough for a lot of people.

However, the United States and its people have endured much worse on many occasions throughout our storied history. What we need more than any single program or policy is the collective will to face these challenges with the same fortitude, resolve and unity with which we have rallied from adversity before.

After all, unemployment is still relatively low at 5 percent, the stock market has actually held its own over the last few months and while people’s confidence in the economy is way down, most Americans believe we will recover and that their children will have it even better than they do today. So let’s get on with this historic task of turning lemons into lemonade.

On energy, allow new domestic production of oil and gas, permit refineries, deploy bio-fuels quickly, accelerate ion-lithium battery technology for plug-in hybrid vehicles and use our tax code to incentivize major, long-term investments in renewable energy and advanced technologies, such as stationary solid-oxide fuel cells. Invest in clean coal, coal gasification and carbon-capture technology among others.

On housing, extend a $7,500 tax credit for new homes to jump start the housing market without bailing out lenders and investors who made high-risk loans when times were good.

On health care, use the market and our tax code to reform health insurance to gradually shift from the employer-based system to a system that is more equitable for everyone who purchases insurance. This will create competition among insurers, reduce health care costs, and give the American people more for their health care dollar.

On trade, encourage commerce with countries that share our values and treat people with dignity. Otherwise, we need to balance our trade deficit with aggressive policies that keep countries like China from taking advantage of us.

On war and peace, have the courage to defend our way of life and protect our allies, leave Iraq with honor on a responsible timeline of our choosing and work to prevent further military engagement unless we have no other choice.

The “Greatest Generation” is still watching our every move. They were impressed with the way we came together after September 11. We must unite and decisively answer this call together. The political parties cannot or will not do this, but with or without them, those of us in leadership positions need to move forward and make the tough decisions to meet these challenges. Too much is at stake and time is of the essence.

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