ThisIsCommonSense.org

“Father Knows Best” was a hit TV show back in the 50’s. In this age of sequels and spin-offs, it’s a wonder that a new TV show hasn’t been launched it could be called “Washington Knows Best.” TV execs have come up with worse ideas.

Now you might argue that today’s Congress has been trying to return power to the state and local level. But that’s only their rhetoric. Even with the success of welfare reform in which the states played the key role, Congress continues to gobble up more power and control.

Senator George Voinivich of Ohio has experience at the state level as a former governor. He’s also taken the Term Limits Pledge to leave Washington after two terms in the Senate. Voinivich supports returning power to the states. He says, “Everybody up here is constantly saying we should send power out of Washington, but we hardly ever do.”

Michael Bird, with the National Conference of State Legislatures, says, “It’s the same old story: People in Washington think they know what’s best for the states. They beat their breasts about returning power to the states, but whenever they don’t like the way states do something, they step in and do it their way. It’s so hypocritical.”

Career politicians tell us one thing and do another. Old news and not very appealing, so maybe the studio execs won’t produce this show. But we the voters are stuck watching this real-life sitcom anyway without even a good laugh track. If we could only find a way to change the channel.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Senator John McCain of Arizona is running for President. One of his key issues is campaign finance reform. While most Americans want campaigns to be reformed, few paid any attention to McCain’s recent legislation.

The reason isn’t voter apathy, but voter common sense.

Career politicians have been promising to reform elections for decades. Every time they pass so-called reforms the problems get worse, not better. Incumbents win more easily and fewer challengers can effectively wage campaigns against them.

On the Senate floor, McCain claimed “we are all corrupt.” He admitted he was “guilty of the appearance of corruption” for taking money from those with interests before the Senate Commerce Committee, which McCain chairs.

Yet, eight of the top 10 contributors to his presidential campaign have major issues before his committee. To that, McCain said he had no choice but to take the money if he wanted to compete for the presidency. In other words, everybody does it.

A lobbyist whose firm donated to McCain said, “He acts like he’s entitled to it. He sees no connection between twisting our arms for money and then talking about how corrupt the system is.” Congressmen who claim certain contributions are corrupting and yet take them anyway are like those who attack career politicians but refuse to limit their own time in Congress phonies.

Ghandi once said, “We must become the changes we seek.” That’s a nice way of saying “put up or shut up.”

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Congressman Tom Davis, who heads the House GOP’s campaign arm, says, “It’s all about body count.” He’s talking about the Republican majority in the House.

Today that majority is just five seats.

When we think about politics, most of us think about the issues. We want to know where candidates stand and then vote accordingly. If we embrace a particular political party, again, it’s usually on the basis of their platform and principles.

Yet to leadership of both parties in Congress stands on the issues seem virtually irrelevant. All these professional politicians care about is holding power and the perks and privileges that come with it. What’s important is the body count.

ake Rep. Charles Rangel, please, a 30-year incumbent Democrat. When Newt Gingrich was still Speaker of the House, Rangel regularly assailed Gingrich as worse than Attila the Hun. Gingrich was the incarnation of all evil.

Yet when asked recently about the virtue of getting Republicans to switch parties to the Democrats, here’s what Rangel had to say: “We’re counting numbers. If Newt Gingrich was a member of the New York delegation and we could convince him to cross over, we would.”

Did you get that? For voters, politics is about principles. About ideas. But for the bodies in suits in Washington, D.C., what counts is the pursuit of power.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

What should be done when corruption is rampant?

Ask the U.S. Congress that question and you may be surprised by the answer. Congress is a HUGE supporter of term limits. Yes, that’s right. They LOVE term limits.

No, I haven’t skipped a dose of my medication. Congress is lecturing the International Olympic Committee on the need for term limits. In fact, Congressman Henry Waxman of California threatened legislation to prevent U.S. companies from giving money to the Olympic Committee unless the committee adopts various reforms including term limits.

The Olympic Committee has been chastised for allowing members to accept lavish gifts from cities lobbying to host the games. There are rules against this, but the rules haven’t been enforced. Now, don’t get me wrong. Congress is 100 percent correct. (And how often does THAT happen?) The Olympic Committee would benefit greatly from term limits, from new ideas and fresh perspectives.

But the hypocrisy from Congress is . . . well . . . frankly . . . now that I think about it, not all that surprising. Congress has passed term limits for the president, the Speaker of the House, committee chairs, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Military and now wants them on the Olympic Committee.

They love term limits for everyone-except themselves. Sheesh! What a do-as-I-say, not-as-I-do Congress. That’s why the gold medal for unlimited hypocrisy goes to: Congressman Henry Waxman. Climb on top of your pedestal now, Mr. Congressman, for the medal ceremony.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

It’s a great, big, beautiful world out there. But it can also be an expensive world to American taxpayers.

Congress just approved $12 billion in foreign aid. Now President Clinton wants even more.

Ultimately, American taxpayers should be the boss of whether their money goes abroad, and if so, how much. That’s why we elect representatives so we’ll have folks in Congress who represent our interests. Whatever your feelings on foreign aid, it’s another sign that our representatives in Washington don’t pay much attention to the majority of taxpayers.

A survey by the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland found incredibly that not a single congressman believes the American people support foreign aid. Not one. But they keep sending our money overseas just the same.

In his new book Who Rules America, Eric O’Keefe writes: “Take, for example, foreign aid. Even a cursory glance at the record of Congress demonstrates that they do not think like the folks back home when it comes to matters abroad. Perhaps the political class is right about foreign policy. Why then don’t they take their case to the public that will pay the price?”

Most Americans oppose foreign aid. That’s why those in office who support it should take their case to the people. Instead, career politicians just arrogantly continue to send billions to foreign countries against the known wishes of the public.

When a career Congress just ignores the people on the issue of foreign aid, is the problem really foreign aid, or a foreign Congress?

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.