Posted by
Postking1 on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 3:24:30 PM
?If the Republicans were wondering why they lost control of Congress during the 2006 elections, they need look no further than Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens. Granted, if you stopped most people on the street they would not know who Senator Stevens is, and more likely, they would not care. So why the harsh criticism? I am aware that nobody was thinking about Ted Stevens during the 2006 elections. The Iraq War, immigration, and the suffering economy all took precedent. I believe that the other underlying factor which eventually gave the Democrats control of Congress, was the ongoing corruption within several facets of the Republican party. If the leadership in the Republican party was not corrupt itself, it was either trying to sweep the corruption under the rug, or ignore it and pretend that it did not exist.
What about the Democrats you might say? They have certainly had their fair share of corruption as well. When the FBI seizes $90,000 out of a congressman’s freezer, something might be amiss. I must ask, is this how pathetic the situation has become in the United States Congress? Are the two parties in some kind of sick competition to see who is the most corrupt? The real story here is not the seven indictments of Ted Stevens handed down today. The real story is the complete and utter lack of leadership in the Congress. Republicans blame Democrats; Democrats blame Republicans, and the end result is that nothing gets accomplished.
When a scandal does occur, the non-involved members left in Congress stand around and lament to one another how said it is that their colleague was brought down by the affair or corruption scandal, as if somehow they are the real victims in these tragedies. The only true victims here are the American people. Every uncovered affair, every new scandal, every misuse and abuse of trust is like rubbing salt in the wounds of the American people. These wounds leave scars that make it hard for us to forget. Scars that we often carry with us when we go to the voting booths each election year.
Ted Stephens was the longest serving Republican Senator ever before his indictments on criminal charges today. That reminds me of an old saying. Familiarity breeds contempt. In this case, familiarity, continuity, complacency, all bred corruption. If there ever was a reason to consider discussing term limits in Congress again, perhaps this latest scandal will elicit changes. Perhaps there are still a few Republicans out there who remember the “Contract With America” from 1994. More likely, the American folks will catch tonight’s 30-second soundbite of another wayward public official, and shake their heads in momentary disgust as they go about their daily lives. But as we settle down to sleep, we will again clean the salt out of our wounds, realizing that it stings a little bit more each time. Then, come the second Tuesday in November we will look at those scars one more time in the mirror and remember. Then we will either grumble and go about our business, or we will quietly make our way to the nearest election hall and exercise our greatest form of democracy, hoping this time we do a little better than the last.