Signing the Constitution from a painting, Louis Glanzman 1987
How many times have we been subjected to the whims of a congressional committee chairperson refusing to allow a vote on legislation that can be of benefit to average Americans; but because it pinched a pet project of the chairperson, it died in committee? I have long since lost count.
Another side of this coin is the long term and dictatorial reign of so many committee chairpersons. Some of these chairpersons have been in congress for decades and have controlled certain committees with an iron hand! Is this what we the voting public sent this individual to congress to do? To be an obstructionist to the free flow of legislation? To conduct witch hunts that consume an entire year to the detriment of the congress and the Nation? It strikes me as tyrannical to be short-changed because of the personal biases of a person who was elected to represent us, NOT rule over us!!
Is there a cure to this disease? You Bet!! And it’s called “Term Limits”!! I have heard all the reasons that Term Limits will not work and to me they all ring hollow!! They claim that they need more than 2 or 3 terms in the house or more than one term in the senate to build consensus in order to advance legislation. To this I say Bull Crap!!
I often hear the argument that in order to advance legislation riders are appended in order to attract the approval of another legislator so the original bill can be moved forward. I find the practice blatantly devious. Is this the best that our elected officials can manage? What is so abhorrent about “Clean Legislation”? One subject that deals with that one issue only!! Don’t push the old rag that it is more efficient to combine some bills. Since When???
There can be little reason to add non related riders to needed legislation other than to fund something that may turn out to be “The Bridge to Nowhere” or another “Solyndra”. These riders are often nothing more than money schemes that seem to find a pathway into the pockets or re-election campaign of some in congress.
Are they all corrupt? I want to believe they are all honest but to some degree I have to say yes. Why else do those not benefitting from the public trough remain so silent on the subject? Are they being stiff armed? I find that reasoning to be deficient but am mystified as to what drives this code of silence when these people were elected to represent us, NOT the government!!
The Constitutional Convention was 100 days long beginning May 14 and ending September 17, 1787. 55 delegates wrangled for the first two months, and could decide nothing. The “Committee of Detail” was formed July 24 to begin the drafting process headed by John Rutledge (Nicknamed “Dictator John”). Joining him would be Edmund Randolph, Oliver Ellsworth, James Wilson and Nathaniel Gorham, all men who would play a major part in the new government formed under the US Constitution. The committee released its draft to the convention on August 6 and was debated by the full convention till September 10th.
Edmund Randolph in his comments about the Convention would make this observation.
“The general object was to produce a cure for the evils under which the United States labored; that in tracing these evils to their origins, every man had found it in the turbulence and follies of democracy”.
NOTE: The founders had a great fear of unbridled democracy just as they feared a strong central government and a standing army. This fear would generate the “Electoral College”.
The “Committee of Style” began its work the polish and define the final document September 10 headed by William Samuel Johnson and joined by such notables as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Gouverneur Morris and Rufus King. Gouverneur Morris would be credited with authoring the preamble to the US Constitution.
The US Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787 bearing 39 signatures; it was then sent to the states for ratification. The Constitution became official June 21, 1788 when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution.
So how do Term Limits and the Constitutional Convention have anything to do with the daily grind?? Time… it all boils down to time; time wasted versus time well used…
Do the names Schiff and Nadler jolt the memory cells???
From May 14, 1787 to June 21, 1788; from inception to ratification; The US Constitution!! Thirteen months and one week!! So how is it that it can take several months to get anything through the US Congress? This only magnifies my statement about the lack of will to move single issue bills through the DC swamp and recalcitrant committee chair persons who hold up legislation and drag out futile investigations based on their perspective alone.
This brings me to the third issue: Mail in Ballots… I live in a state that is Mail in Ballot and I despise the entire routine as it is so vulnerable to fraud. I took great pride in going to the polls and voting in person; showing them a photo ID and my voter registration card. What in all creation is so difficult in that? As a patriot, it galls me that one of the most sacred and cherished of our rights has been pushed into the shadows where fraud is possible. This again is NOT what the founders imagined as they crafted that superb document, the US Constitution!
Walt Mow 2020
