Lifetime Politicians
Reason #3: Lifetime Leeches
The “lifetime politician” is a uniquely 20th century phenomenon.
Not long ago, I watched Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas flogging his new autobiography on television. The program included footage of his confirmation hearings from almost twenty years ago and I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the senators questioning him. The whole gang was there: Joe Biden, Arlen Specter, Pat Leahy, Orrin Hatch.
“Good God!” I said to myself. “All those dinosaurs are still in office!”
Congressmen, especially senators, treat their elected offices like lifetime appointments. Over the years, they grow such thick roots around their seats, it would take a…
August 12, 2008 | Read More
Reason #2: Career Politicians Dialing for Dollars
Over the years, I’ve gotten to know my local congressional representative here in Silicon Valley, Mike Honda. Mike’s a really nice guy, but I’ve never met a politician who isn’t a nice guy. That’s one of the main ways we’ve gotten into this mess. On the whole, Congress’s approval rating is in the single digits. Yet when you ask people if they like their congressman or congresswoman, they say yes because they’re charming, charismatic characters. But that’s exactly the problem. We keep electing likable boobs and expecting them to magically transform into capable leaders once they get to Washington. Congress is…
August 12, 2008 | Read More
