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incumbents national politics & policies

Without a Vision

Close your eyes for three seconds — not if you’re on the road right now though — and imagine what you would do if you were in the Congress. Fight for new legislation? Repeal misguided old statutes? Block pork-​barrel spending? Combat corruption?

Our dreams shape our horizons; they’re an inspiration and a challenge to do our best. That “vision-​thing” is important. If we don’t envision it, we don’t attempt it. Now, I don’t want to start preaching, but the Bible itself says, “Without a vision, my people perish.”

Take Senator Trent Lott from Mississippi. He leads the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate. Asked by reporters what he hoped to accomplish this year, Lott replied: “We don’t have to score a touchdown, we just have to control the clock.” Huh? Republicans have the ball, and they ain’t exactly winning out there on the field, and all they want to do is run out the clock?

Lott and those like him would rather stay in Washington twiddling their thumbs than take a political risk to advance the issues they claim to care about. Commentator Robert Novak says, “They lack courage because they are professional politicians. They are much more worried about the next election, about keeping their majority, about keeping their seats, than they are about having the courage do the right thing.”

Good point. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win elections. But to junk your agenda simply to hold on to power? 

Power to do what?

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Categories
term limits

The Silver Bullet

Remember the Lone Ranger? With the help of Tonto, he fought corruption and injustice in the old West. His trademark was a silver bullet.

In his new book Completing the Revolution, columnist and TV commentator Robert Novak says, “Term limits is the silver bullet, because unless you have term limits … you can’t do the other things I talk about cutting taxes, ending the IRS system, privatizing Social Security because they’re afraid they’re going to lose their seat.” Novak blames the lack of progress by the Republicans on their careerism.

The rest of us see it too. A Rasmussen Research poll confirms that 72 percent of Americans now view the federal government as “a special interest that looks out primarily for its own interests.” The longer politicians stay in office the more they become part of the special interests of Washington, and the more they pursue their own power through their constant reelection.

Not surprisingly, those in Congress who have imposed term limits on themselves don’t suffer from this careerism bug the dreaded Potomac Fever. They’re more concerned with doing what they came to do than with scrambling to protect their own political career.

We need more representatives in Washington with the courage and integrity of the Lone Ranger. Folks who will fight the good fight. And that’s why term limits are the silver bullet.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Categories
Common Sense

Anything But That!

American government is supposed to reflect the will of the people, but it really doesn’t. And the people know it.

Consider what’s happening in Idaho. In 1994, voters passed term limits for state legislators, statewide officers and local officials. Politicians railed against the proposal, as would be expected. Voters loved it. Yet, even after the votes have been counted the legislature constantly threatens to repeal the law. Only the outrage of the people stands in their way.

In 1998, legislators required a re-​vote on the issue. Even after a second approval of term limits, the politicians still refuse to accept the results. Local politicians complain that passing limits on them in a statewide vote wasn’t fair. It’s hard to find good people to serve they tell us. And the people didn’t really want limits on their local politicians.

Trusting the common sense of the people, Idaho’s term limits group agreed it was only right that local voters should be able to revisit term limits, to alter or even abolish them. Just let local folks at the local level take a local vote. Yet when legislation was introduced to allow local communities to do just that, all the sudden the local politicians fell silent. They refused to endorse or push the legislation. And last week, they sued the people of Idaho to overturn their will on term limits.

Let the people decide? Ha! These politicians want anything but that! Let the people beware.

This is Common Sense.  I’m Paul Jacob.

Categories
Common Sense

Castro

The whole country is talking about the little Cuban boy, Elian Gonzales, whose mother died trying to escape the tyranny of Cuba and reach the free soil of America. Now Elian’s become a political football of sorts and a difficult case for the INS.

As a father, I can’t help but put myself in his father’s place. The bond between parent and child dwarfs any political bond. In fact, one of the great things about our country is the recognition that the government must respect the family. But if I were Elian’s father, as much as it would break my heart, I would want him to stay in the United States. First, he has loving relatives. Second, he will have the freedom as an individual to become all that he is capable of.

Cuba is a totalitarian society. True, it’s not alone in having a repressive government, but it tops the list.For the last 40 years it has been ruled by one all-​powerful politician Fidel Castro. In four decades of dictatorship, Castro has been able to politically wire the entire country. Opposition has been smashed. It’s terrible that Cubans must suffer. Many die trying to reach freedom. It’s a shame for Elian Gonzales and his family. But at least there is a country like ours that the victims of tyranny can come to.

You know, after our revolution some people say George Washington could have become king. But Washington stepped down and returned power to the people. Thank goodness he was no Castro.

This is Common Sense.  I’m Paul Jacob.

Categories
Common Sense

Big Brother

Before most people had ever seen TV, George Orwell wrote his famous novel 1984 about a totalitarian society where Big Brother watches citizens through their television.

Today, of course, most of us get our news from television. Unlike Orwell’s world, we cherish freedom of the press. No government control. Well, not exactly. While newspapers have a First Amendment right to publish as they wish, television and radio have no such rights and are regulated by the federal government. Certainly, that regulation is not supposed to force any particular content; that is, the substance of the news and other programs we watch are not to be dictated by the government. But are they being dictated?

We recently learned that YES the federal government has been in effect paying the six largest TV networks to air programs that contain the “proper message” on drugs. Some of the networks have sent their shows ahead of time to be reviewed by the White House. Now that’s frightening. Why would the networks go along? Well, the federal government is spending $185 million this year on anti-​drug ads. That’s a big enough pot of money to attract a hive full of TV executives, and possibly to alter some of the shows you see. We must not violate the principle of media independence from government.

No matter how politically correct the message that government is encouraging. It’s no time for a sequel to Big Brother.

This is Common Sense.  I’m Paul Jacob.

Categories
Common Sense

An Honest Man

Campaign finance reform is a hot topic. Senator John McCain of Arizona has made it the number one issue in his presidential campaign.

When politicians talk about changing a system that so greatly benefits them, well, like most Americans, I’m pretty skeptical. McCain has talked a lot about the corruption of our representatives and the appearance of corruption that turns off voters.

We’re all sick and tired of politicians trading political favors for campaign cash. But now several stories suggest McCain too has gone to bat for big campaign contributors trying to alter federal government policy to their advantage. Has McCain sold out to big money or has he been snared by his own tangled net? One Arizona woman said, “John McCain is an honest citizen; nobody’s going to buy him with contributions.”

What is forgotten in all the talk of campaign finance is that our system depends on having honest men and women holding public offices. That’s why an office is called a public trust. No laundry list of rules and regulations can stop a corrupt politician from taking home a briefcase full of cash everyday from a special interest. We can’t stop dishonest people from being dishonest. So what we must do is make sure the men and women we elect are honest to begin with and will stay that way.

A congressman who makes a commitment to term limits has a strong defense against such corrupting influences. An honest man in Washington for a limited stay is likely to stay an honest man.

This is Common Sense.  I’m Paul Jacob.