The hottest news coming out of Washington these days is the continuous stream of announcements by members of the Congress that they are leaving elected office.
Some are packing it in based on personal issues and others can’t stand the gridlock that has prevented real legislative progress. Retirements come in cycles but generally each party loses a little of its soul when key members depart.
Most voters pay little or no attention to the political developments in Washington or here at home.
Most of the people who have decided to walk away from public service rarely tell the outside world all the reasons why they are leaving their chosen profession but there are many.
Politics in this country hasn’t been the same since the early 1990’s. Historians will point to the election of Newt Gingrich as speaker of the House.
Unlike previous speakers, Gingrich sent a strong message to his new band of warriors that bipartisanship is no longer a word in the Republican dictionary. Even casual talk with a member of the other party was forbidden.
At the same time as Gingrich was changing the tone of American politics, things were no different at the state level.
After a long tenure in the state Assembly I witnessed the same change in attitude among the members of both parties. Having breakfast or dinner with a Republican was considered taboo. The message was it’s us against them.
Much to my regret politics has gotten progressively worse.
Fast forward to the election of Barack Obama as president. On the very day that President Obama was sworn in as commander-in—chief, Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that his only goal was to “make Barack Obama a one-term president.”
That failed pledge lasted for eight years but it resulted in roadblock after roadblock to progress.
I often ask members of Congress of both parties why they bother to make the weekly trip to Washington considering the current toxic climate and partisan meanness. Their answer is that they like what they are doing and are determined to hang on if they feel they can be effective.
I give them a lot of credit for their dedication but from where we are in New York it looks like they are experiencing a monumental waste of time.
Does it pay to be a part of an institution that is not only divided by party but is also divided by political thinking?
The House of Representatives often seems like the movie “Animal House.”
Sixty members of the 239-member Republican majority have the ability to stop any progress on any issue and they often do.
Any hint of reaching out to a handful of Democrats to pass a bill throws Speaker Ryan into an apoplectic fit. Senate Majority Leader Mc Connell refuses to even hear the word “Democrats.”
So, the bottom line to these horror stories is whether is it worth it for the 435 congressmen and the 100 U.S. senators to continue to serve?
The answer from my vantage point is a loud yes. I appreciate the reasons for Senators Corker and Flake deciding to go home next year. They are fine examples of what senators should be like but the ugly system has worn them down.
But the better angels in the Congress must stay behind and continue the fight against an incompetent president who is tearing apart the fabric that we call democracy.
Edmund Burke said it better “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
