Chan Lowe: Congress is broken
Nothing better illustrates the dysfunction of our congress than yesterday's retirement announcement by U.S. Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana.
These are usually times for fulsome praise of one's service from both sides of the aisle. In Bayh's case, however, Republican National Committee Chairman Richard Steele said something snarky about how Bayh was just another Democrat wanting to run away from his party's record and was afraid of facing his constituents in the fall. This is now considered acceptable behavior.
My theory is that the Internet and cable news have made government so sensitive to reaction that no one holding office dares to stray from the purest of party lines, lest he or she suffer for it in the primaries. Look at John McCain, for example, who is feverishly repudiating many of the reforms he himself sponsored, because he faces a serious challenge on his right.
It used to be that members of congress could get together behind closed doors, hash things out, and vote for what they knew was best without being immediately branded apostates. But that was back when mail was slow and coverage sparse.
Now, craven pols are forced to do what's expedient, while pushing serious problems down the road. The problem is, we've reached the end of that road--something the American people know, but that their representatives are loath to acknowledge.
CHAN LOWE has been the Sun Sentinel’s first and only editorial cartoonist for the past twenty-six years. Before that, he worked as cartoonist and writer for the Oklahoma City Times and the Shawnee (OK) News-Star.
Comments
We've only just begun!!!! I just hope the republicans get in before this congress grants illegals amnesty!!
Posted by: cn | February 16, 2010 4:45 PM
The race is on with Odumba and the Dumocrats to get the illegal aliens legalized and registered to vote ASAP. The Dems realize they have lost with real Americans like the elderly and military families and their only hope is by throwing trillions in bribes at illegal aliens.
Posted by: joe blowe | February 16, 2010 5:16 PM
The problem is that they ARE holding the party lines. Americans don't care about the party, we care about the country.
Posted by: Pointman870 | February 17, 2010 7:08 AM
Maybe if we are lucky Evan will decide to start a new political part with only one dogmatic principle: "Do what works".
Posted by: Tom | February 17, 2010 8:05 AM
Ms. (or Mr.) Lowe, so you think that Republican National Committee Chairman Richard Steele is doing wrong just because he told the truth? Hasn't anyone ever told you about the Bill of Rights? Ms. (or Mr.) Lowe, go get a clue.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 17, 2010 10:00 AM
Bye Bayh Evan--That lifeboat might get crowded, and cap-size.!!
Posted by: Lorraine Wagner | February 17, 2010 11:08 AM
Its quite obvious, and never hard to figure out what flag Chan Lowe pledges allegiants too.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 17, 2010 2:11 PM
Its quite obvious what flag Chan Lowe pledges allegiants to.
Posted by: dave | February 17, 2010 2:11 PM
What a bunch of comments illustrative of the ignorance that pervades this nation. We don't care about party...just country... gee, so how to organize to fight for our country without a political party? Real Americans? You mean everyone who voted for the republicans even though the republicans told everyone that they were going to concentrate the wealth at the top....did you know the 1% of the richest in America increased their wealth by about 38% between 2008 and 2009 while the rest of us got screwed? Whe do you support politicans who screw you financially? Obama is trying to help you and you are so ignorant that you shit on the hand that tries to help you. You're the dummy dummy, as Fred Sanford would say.
Posted by: Bubba Maitrie | February 23, 2010 12:33 AM