Politicians say it takes a new legislator a year or two just to find the bathroom. Must be a pretty uncomfortable year or two. Of course, this says more about the old-timers’ desire to protect their turf than about reality. In the real world, a new employee is expected to learn the job in a matter of days or weeks, not years.
One of the reasons change doesn’t happen in Washington is because the career politicians are in no hurry for change. Heaven knows they aren’t planning to leave anytime soon. Freshman Congressman Jim DeMint of South Carolina is a rookie coming to rescue the Congress from the outdated ways of career politicians. He’s limited himself to 3 terms and determined to hit the ground running. He said recently:
I’ve heard folks say it takes five or six years sometimes to get a bill through Congress. It reminds me of the stories of Ford and Chrysler, who thought it was impossible to introduce a new car in less than five or six years. Until they saw the Japanese doing it in less than two years, with lower prices, and higher quality. The system gets in the way. We’ve got folks to [limit their service in Congress]; not folks with political experience, but people with experience in the private sector. I’ve already seen [that] the people who have limited their terms have made a big difference in Congress, not just in legislation, but in the whole attitude.
Representative DeMint found the bathroom, but he won’t be able to work the old boy system in Congress. Instead, he’s going to change it.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.