THE DRUNK REPORT

On this Whiskey Wednesday, Bar Flies, I have questions.  What will it take to get career politicians to take action in the interests of America versus the wants of their constituents?  Will term limits make the career politician extinct?  How can America move forward with elected officials holding us back?

In my efforts to profile all members of Congress (yes, very ambitious), I am in search of the elusive statesman.  Someone who puts the actual good of the country and actual freedom of the people ahead of their next election cycle.  As I’m only on number two, I’ve got a ways to go.  Frankly, I doubt I’ll find one.

With the problems our country is facing, wars, the economy, civil rights, health care why can’t one honest person stand up and make themselves heard?  Why are Americans adrift on a sea of megalomaniacal egotism?

Because our politicians are just that, politicians.  They aren’t doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, et cetera who are giving up their time to serve American interests for a brief period before they go back to their actual job.  Oh, they may have Ph.D.s or J.D.s or may have run a Fortune 500 company at one time or another, but they gave all of that up for the perks of political life.  Now, instead of being just another person working for the weekend, they are known.  They are on television and can put their names on legislation and have press conferences.

They have lobbyists and special interests sucking up to them 24/7.  They get junkets and limos and dinners and donors and popularity and on and on.  What do they do for it?  They pander.  They pander to the special interests or do exactly what their constituents want.

Ah, there’s another issue.  Doing exactly what their constituents want is a problem, not the job description.  They are supposed to protect the freedom of their constituents, not give their constituents exactly what they want.  Much like a child will want gobs and gobs of candy, constituents rarely want what is good for them.  The elected official’s position is that of the parent:  say no to that which is unhealthy for the child (constituency).

I know we’ve been pouring pretty steadily from this particular liquor bottle, but have another shot.  Same sex marriage is a civil right being denied the LGBT community.  Elected officials in New York state denied gays the right to marry.  Why?  Because they were pandering to the wants of their constituency.  In other words, they handed over the candy in order to keep the inevitable tantrum at bay.

This is why America is set up as a constitutional republic.  We are not a direct democracy.  This is to keep the wants of many from trampling the rights of the few.  We need to do away with politicians period.  We need statesmen (statespeople, whatever).

Now, the public option is most likely going to be stripped from health care legislation.  Granted, I have my issues with the way our government runs the health care it runs, but there are so many people out there who need health insurance who can’t get it.  Medicare doesn’t even cover all the seniors it should cover, Jack can tell you stories about that from his own experience.  Why can’t we put the good of the people over the wants of the people?

Will term limits fix it?  I don’t know.  I know many Republicans are currently in favor of term limits simply so they can try to pick up more Congressional seats.  I know many from both party are against term limits simply because they enjoy their cushy lives a bit too much.

Hey, Senate, while you’re on the subject of overhauls, why not overhaul yourselves?  Vote yourselves a pay cut and some term limits and try to actually serve the best interests of this country instead of keeping your name in the newspapers.

Don’t make me come up there to Capitol Hill!  Because if you make me pull this blog over, get out and haul my drunk ass up to Congress-land, I’m going to take away all your whiskey until you can get along and clean up your own messes and do what you say you will do.  Don’t think I won’t do it.  Cuz I will.

Filed under: Healthcare, National News, Politics, Whiskey Wednesday | Tagged: Congress - House, Congress - Senate, Feature, Term Limits