Elections 2006 Are Coming, Pay Attention
Ken Hughes
December 31, 2005
Mid-term, Congressional elections are rapidly approaching. In eleven months Americans will go to their polling places to elect members to the House of Representatives and a few Senators. I would prefer we elect all new members of the House and new Senators where applicable that of course isn’t going to happen. With few exceptions, the country will wind up with the same old crowd doing the same old things and blaming the failures on the same old someone else’s. How can we expect this country to move forward when our lawmakers and administrators live in the past?
A classic example of congressional idiocy is the current debate over the gathering of information. Congress is insistent our intelligence communities adhering to archaic laws passed prior to the advances in current communications technology were available. Terrorists may be fighting this war with sticks and stones, their discussing strategy with the most modern communications available. Without the ability to monitor these communications, our side is at a deferent disadvantage. American citizens are placed in greater risk than perhaps violating some ones civil liberties. Civil liberties of the average citizen are violated by congress and the courts everyday.
Americans outside the Beltway know this is all posturing on the part of congress to gain a political advantage with their constituents. Presidential opposition are beginning to whisper the “I” word. They won’t come out with the word “impeachment” for fear of having to issue denials later. Rather they leave it to the media to spread their insinuations.
Each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives comes up for renewal of their employment contracts to serve the people of this nation to the best of their ability. That isn’t asking for much of a commitment on the part of the congressperson. It is however a futile call from the wilderness of politics. It doesn’t come from the Washington Beltway and therefore can’t be heard.
Most congresspersons go to Washington with the purest of intentions. They soon discover this isn’t Village Politics they’re dealing with. Longevity determines everything from what stall they’re allowed to use in the men’s room and when to where they sit while in session. There isn’t a single movement that isn’t controlled by the congressional hierarchy of their party. No one denies the need for house rules. These rules should be democratic and not dictatorial.
There’s no doubt we get the government we chose. That choice comes every other year when we’re called on to vote for our choice of representation. There’s no good way to assure we’re getting the best and brightest of those available. There’s a great deal pointing to the fact we’re getting the dregs from the bottom barrel in many cases. Good man and women act they don’t spend their valuable time in front on the medias cameras whining about their disagreement with their advocacies. The public spends billions of dollars providing opulent facilities for congress to meet and discuss the nations business. It shouldn’t be taken to the steps of the Capital building in front of the nations press_corp. for conformation. They’re only the presumed fourth estate of government they have no official standing.
Before we waste our vote on an incumbent in the coming elections let’s ask ourselves. How many of the candidates campaign promises are recycled from previous campaigns. What have candidates said they would do they haven’t done. If a candidate chooses to discuss his opponents failing rather than his or her own successes do they deserve our consideration?
There’s a way out of this quagmire of incompetent congressional representation with presumed life time tenure.
Term limits, as the congress enacted for the presidency is one sure way of getting competent man and women to serve in congress. Limits of 12 years service in either and both houses of congress would open the doors for men and women who wish to contribute some but not all of their time to serving their country. Today service in the United States Military is a privilege that attracts the best and brightest of our young men and women. Why not apply the same standards to congress with the exception of a discharge at the end of the tunnel, that being 12 years and out.
The argument for continual congressional service is usually what the congresspersons provides in goodies to their districts. Alls well and good if the cost isn’t considered. Liberalism is a parasite living off a few for the benefit of the many. That’s all well and good until the few have been milked, dry and become part of the many then who pays?
Pray we vote with our brains and not our hearts in the coming elections. Let us pray we don’t fall victim to Bovine Excrement hyperbole yet another time.
A classic example of congressional idiocy is the current debate over the gathering of information. Congress is insistent our intelligence communities adhering to archaic laws passed prior to the advances in current communications technology were available. Terrorists may be fighting this war with sticks and stones, their discussing strategy with the most modern communications available. Without the ability to monitor these communications, our side is at a deferent disadvantage. American citizens are placed in greater risk than perhaps violating some ones civil liberties. Civil liberties of the average citizen are violated by congress and the courts everyday.
Americans outside the Beltway know this is all posturing on the part of congress to gain a political advantage with their constituents. Presidential opposition are beginning to whisper the “I” word. They won’t come out with the word “impeachment” for fear of having to issue denials later. Rather they leave it to the media to spread their insinuations.
Each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives comes up for renewal of their employment contracts to serve the people of this nation to the best of their ability. That isn’t asking for much of a commitment on the part of the congressperson. It is however a futile call from the wilderness of politics. It doesn’t come from the Washington Beltway and therefore can’t be heard.
Most congresspersons go to Washington with the purest of intentions. They soon discover this isn’t Village Politics they’re dealing with. Longevity determines everything from what stall they’re allowed to use in the men’s room and when to where they sit while in session. There isn’t a single movement that isn’t controlled by the congressional hierarchy of their party. No one denies the need for house rules. These rules should be democratic and not dictatorial.
There’s no doubt we get the government we chose. That choice comes every other year when we’re called on to vote for our choice of representation. There’s no good way to assure we’re getting the best and brightest of those available. There’s a great deal pointing to the fact we’re getting the dregs from the bottom barrel in many cases. Good man and women act they don’t spend their valuable time in front on the medias cameras whining about their disagreement with their advocacies. The public spends billions of dollars providing opulent facilities for congress to meet and discuss the nations business. It shouldn’t be taken to the steps of the Capital building in front of the nations press_corp. for conformation. They’re only the presumed fourth estate of government they have no official standing.
Before we waste our vote on an incumbent in the coming elections let’s ask ourselves. How many of the candidates campaign promises are recycled from previous campaigns. What have candidates said they would do they haven’t done. If a candidate chooses to discuss his opponents failing rather than his or her own successes do they deserve our consideration?
There’s a way out of this quagmire of incompetent congressional representation with presumed life time tenure.
Term limits, as the congress enacted for the presidency is one sure way of getting competent man and women to serve in congress. Limits of 12 years service in either and both houses of congress would open the doors for men and women who wish to contribute some but not all of their time to serving their country. Today service in the United States Military is a privilege that attracts the best and brightest of our young men and women. Why not apply the same standards to congress with the exception of a discharge at the end of the tunnel, that being 12 years and out.
The argument for continual congressional service is usually what the congresspersons provides in goodies to their districts. Alls well and good if the cost isn’t considered. Liberalism is a parasite living off a few for the benefit of the many. That’s all well and good until the few have been milked, dry and become part of the many then who pays?
Pray we vote with our brains and not our hearts in the coming elections. Let us pray we don’t fall victim to Bovine Excrement hyperbole yet another time.
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