It seems that Congress has set about to do nothing until after the elections. They did get around, finally, to passing the Stimulus Bill, but then, of course, that buys votes.
There are many problems facing this country: government over-spending, energy, health care, Social Security, immigration, and homeland security; the list can go on and on. The Congress, however, seems to find that the use of steroids and other body-building drugs by Roger Clemens and a few other players to be more important than any of the problems listed.
Congress, on a national level, WHO CARES if some overpaid jock used some enhancement drug to perform in a sport whose owners don’t care as long as the guy can swing a bat and catch a ball? He is old enough to know the danger involved in his decisions to indulge.
How does it improve this country for Congress to decide whether Clemens did or did not do the deed? Not one single thing, except to give a paycheck to another bunch of overpaid do-nothings who can’t seem to fathom the real problems facing this country, much less the solutions. Is this what we really pay these do-nothings for? If so, why do we continue to have a Congress, for it seems to me that they are good for nothing except spending money on things not needed, playing political games (to see who can out-lie the opponents on what they are going to do or not do at some unspecified point in the future), or wasting time on nonsensical things like the investigation of ball players. WHO CARES?!?
Then there is the Senate, whose primary game, it seems, is to hogtie the intelligence community. So today they passed another useless bill to stop the CIA from water boarding. SO WHAT! Do you people really think you can pass useless laws to stop needed methods for intelligence gathering? So far, all you have done is make the enemy look good and our intelligence and our country look bad. Of course, you believe you are taking the high road; you forget that the lower bowels of hell would be the high road for the enemy we face. Best thing you folks can do is let intel do its job, and you go back to doing something useful for the people whom you are elected to represent. You were not elected to represent the enemy. Oh, but I forget, it’s election time, and you need to posture, finger point, and try to look like you are busily accomplishing some good to the folks back home. WHO CARES!?! You are wasting my time and my money and the time and the money of the rest of the good people in this country who look to you to take some leadership in solving the problems faced by Mr. and Mrs. Smith each and every day. Guess what, Mr. and Ms. Senator? Water boarding is not high on the Smith agenda, nor is any of the other unnecessary meddling in the intelligence community’s business. Let them do their job of providing protection and intelligence, and you get on with dealing with energy, the economy, etc. So far, all you have done is try to load up the Stimulus Bill with your Pork, so you could look good for the folks and, hopefully, garner some votes.
Senator Obama said the other day during one of his TV moments that to change the country, we have to change Washington. It was a good sound bite but one of the few things he has said that makes sense. In order to change Washington we need to start with Congress. As long as the power-hungry, money-hungry, do-nothing career politicians are allowed to continue to sit on their back sides and continue their overpaid, underworked careers, Washington will never change.
I am and have been for some time a strong advocate of Term Limits, for both the Senate and the House. It is a travesty to allow those who do nothing to be re-elected over and over so they can continue to do nothing. The time has come to clean house in Washington, and if they will not pass a bill to begin Term Limits, then “We the People” can insure their limited terms at the ballot box until we can elect those who will do the will of the people.
There appears to be a way of circumventing the Constitutional Amendment that would be needed to change the term limits, and that is for the States to place limits on how long they will allow their representatives to serve. If it can be applied to the Electoral College, it can be applied to the Congress.
It’s time for a change, I agree, but I contend that the change must begin with Congress. Term Limits would certainly play a major role in reducing the do-nothingness of the Congress we have now. Think about it!
2 comments:
Congress investigating Clemens is bizzare. OTOH, it isn't without precedent for Congress to spin their wheels. It's like "busy work" that teachers give to kids, to keep them occupied, lol!
Candidly, when I think of laws they might pass, it may be better for all of us if Congress simply spins its wheels, takes its salary, passes no laws, and goes home.
Unfortunately, I don't think the remedy of changing congress will work either. Even if one were replace the whole brood with freshly-elected folk, I do not think we'll see a major improvement.
In general, people in a country like the U.S. (relatively free) get the government that they "deserve".
Take any issue, and you'll see that the real problem is not in our representatives, but in ourselves. The representatives -- mostly -- reflect the population.
softwarenerd says: "Take any issue, and you'll see that the real problem is not in our representatives, but in ourselves. The representatives -- mostly -- reflect the population."
Unfortunately you are correct in what you say to a large extent. The population is for the most part uninformed, unwilling and ignorant of issues just as Congress . That would certainly point to a direct reflection of the population as a whole.
In one news story I was reading a recent voter in Virgina stated that she is an issue voter, a staunch conservative, born again, evangelical. She voted for Obama. Now what does that tell you? She would have probably voted against Romeny because of his religion and she votes against McCain because the preacher said he was evil incarnate but yet is so uninformed about the "issues" that she voted for Obama who is much farther to the left than either. As I say, unfortunately these folks are allowed to vote.
As to the Term Limits. I first wrote on this about two years ago in a local newspaper. It seems that it made it's way around the country and I received a good number of postive replies and others wanting more information as to how to accomplish this. What we have elected are now so entrenched that they no longer listed to the people. I believe that "fresh" blood , knowing that they had better listen or go home after the first term instead of having a chance at a second term would be more willing to listen.
Again however I agree , before such a plan can work, the electorate must become more aware of the issues and where those they are electing are actually standing and not just where they say they are.
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