What’s Wrong with Congress?

Our Congress, which has become more and more erratic over the past several years, has reached another level of irrationality, one that leaves ordinary citizens scowling and befuddled.  I have more questions than answers about this latest fiasco, but I do have one good idea... More on that later.

For now, let's take a look at a situation that is continuing to develop in the capital.  Here's how it shapes up.  Democrats have long proclaimed the need to increase revenue (raise taxes) to reduce the federal budget deficit.  Republicans have championed the cause of lower taxes as a way to invigorate the economy.  So when the Democrats propose to extend a tax cut on payroll taxes, you might logically assume that Republicans would be overjoyed, right?  Wrong.  On the contrary, the Republicans have characterized the Democrat tax cut proposal currently before Congress as ‘reckless’ and vowed to oppose it. 

What's going on?  Suddenly the ‘higher taxes’ side wants to cut taxes?  And in response the ‘lower taxes’ side is fighting all out to prevent it?  Why?

Would the Democrats really go against all their arguments of the past year in order to ingratiate themselves with working people who will benefit from this payroll tax break?  Will the Republicans really oppose anything a Democrat suggests, just to be obstinate, even if they wanted it yesterday?

I don’t know about you, but this disturbs me.  Being a conservative-leaning moderate, I already have plenty of reasons to be upset with those on the political left.  I think they have done a lot of damage to our country over the past few years.  But in this case it is the Republicans who amaze me most – and that's not a good thing.

Let me be clear about this.  I am not a member of the Republican Party.  I used to be, until I realized that the national party only wanted my contributions and could not possibly have cared less about my opinions.  I am an independent, a free thinking fiscal conservative with libertarian tendencies.  Even so, I had continued to think of the Republican Party as the “better” of the two parties, the one with ideas that had a chance of working, the ones with more moral integrity than the duplicitous and manipulative political left. 

No more.  Now, suddenly, I see as much hypocrisy on the political right as on the left.  Suddenly I am faced with the fearful possibility that there is no one in Congress with integrity or intelligence, no one with our best interests at heart.

Look at this Republican Party.  They went to the wall, threatened to shut down the government to preserve tax advantages for the wealthy.  I kind of thought they were overdoing it, but I made allowances for their zealous defense of a principle, the principle of less government and free markets.  I respected that.  But now that the recipients of the proposed tax break are the middle class and the poor, they are in active opposition to lower taxes?  Will they will fight to preserve tax breaks for millionaires, then turn around and fight to end a tax break for working people?

I have been defending Republicans against the popular stereotype (“rich white guys who don’t care about poor people”) for years.  I don’t think I can do that anymore.  I used to believe in their integrity, used to believe that they were fighting for constitutional principles and liberty.  If they were fighting for principles, though, they should be consistent.  Despite all the talk about reducing the deficit, it has become apparent to me that they care only about themselves, their peer group, and the contributors who give them money for their reelection bids.  They had me fooled for a long time, but this series of unfortunate events has exposed their hypocrisy so clearly that even I can see it.

Is it possible that I just do not understand some important underlying factor?  Is it possible that the Republicans in Congress are doing the right thing and I just don’t understand why?  It’s conceivable.  For the sake of argument, let’s say there really is a good reason to raise payroll taxes on the middle and lower class while simultaneously refusing to raise taxes on the wealthy.  Even if there is such a good reason that I just don’t understand, do the Republicans in Congress realize how this makes them look to the ordinary people of the United States?  Are they actively trying to lose the next election?

Don’t get the idea that I am going over to the other side.  I am not.  I believe the political left is disingenuous, ideologically intolerant, and dangerous.  The left is not an option.  In fact, the point of all this is that there is no political organization in the U.S. Congress that is honestly looking out for the best interests of the United States of America.  There is no viable political affiliation among the major parties for Americans of good faith, reason and integrity.  Both sides are corrupt and dangerous.  Congress has an approval rating of under 10% for a good reason.  They have earned it.

In the interest of fairness, let me say this.  There are 535 people in congress and senate.  Among those hundreds there are undoubtedly several fine, conscientious persons of integrity and intelligence.  I have known such a Congressman.  I have no desire to slander the honorable among them because of their positions or associations.  

Members of Congress with integrity, though, are few.  We the people have proven to be very poor judges of character when it is time to vote.  Because of our poor choices, Congress has been allowed to abdicate its responsibility to do right by the people and the nation.  Congress has stopped being the responsible manager of our federal government and has become a malignancy sapping the health of our American nation.  If we are to stop the decline, we have to turn out every member of Congress. 

To the few who are doing right, we are sorry but you are about to be caught in a tsunami of political reform.  We acknowledge that there will be collateral damage, but that is a harsh reality of political life today.  If you truly are a person of honor, intelligence, and goodwill, perhaps you will be able to make a comeback to the new, improved congress in 2 or 4 years.  Undoubtedly there will be a few new members of congress who will not live up to our new, improved ideals and will need to be replaced.

But for now, we need a House-cleaning.  And a Senate-cleaning.  This is triage.  In the same way a surgeon might amputate a toe to stop the progress of life-threatening gangrene, We the People of the United States have to remove this entire Congress - with its culture of extreme partisanship, misplaced loyalties, narcissism and entitlement, dishonesty, and ineffective government, in order to save the federal government itself.

There’s no group in Congress today that has the best interest of the nation and the people at heart.  We need to change that.  We need to make sure that the next Congress is made up of patriots, committed to our remarkable nation first and foremost, yet still able to work with allies and people of all nations without arrogance .  We need to make sure that the members of the next Congress have the morally stamina to stand by essential principles without resorting to mindless formulas or pledges that divide their loyalties.  We need to fill the next Congress with persons who are able to speak with conviction and remain civil and respectful while doing so.  We need Representatives who are intelligent enough to think for themselves, independent of polls or party leadership, and to understand the implications and consequences of their actions.  We need Representatives who realize that moral fortitude is an admirable quality, that extreme partisanship can sometimes indicate a lack of discernment, and that neither of these statements contradicts the other.  We need Representatives who will put the needs of their nation and their constituents before their own political wellbeing.  We need to make sure that the next Congress appreciates what amazing resources we have in our Constitution, in the shared experiences of our history, in the diversity of our landforms (physical and cultural) and our people, and in the common vision we share of liberty in law.

We need to remove elitists of all political parties and replace them with people who realize that they are our peers and our employees, not our superiors or our bosses.  We need people in Congress who will do the right thing despite adversity.  We need a government of men and women who know that principles are inviolate and governing requires cooperation – and that these two are not a contradiction but a creative tension by which the American people have lived and thrived for over two centuries.  It’s time for some real change.

Gryphem