ThisIsCommonSense.org

Fairness. Openness. Sincerity. Candor. These are traits despised by the jaded professional politicians in Washington.

That’s why Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina caused a stir when he said Democrats won several recent legislative victories because “Democrats have some ideas people back home seem to like.”

For the partisan hacks in Washington, folks who see every problem as something they can blame on the other party, Sanford’s remark was unthinkable. Blasphemy. Sanford is a Republican after all. But he isn’t supporting the position of the Democrats. He’s supporting the democratic process and the right of the people back home to have their voices heard.

Sanford went on to say: “I would rather see outcomes I don’t like as a result of an open and democratic process than outcomes I do like that result from a closed and non-​democratic process. And while Democrats had some ideas people like right now, no one has a lock on ideas. I believe debate on the U.S. House floor based on a meritocracy of ideas favors Republicans in the long run because I think Americans want limited government.”

More than a partisan, Rep. Sanford is a man of principle who has limited his time in Washington to three terms. If more congressmen trusted the American people and the democratic process like Sanford, we citizens could have a whole lot more trust in our elected officials.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

When Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire resigned from the Republican Party earlier this year, he said:

“I’ve come to the realization that the Republican Party is more interested in winning elections than supporting the principles of its platform. It’s just a charade. The Republican platform is a meaningless document that has been put out there so suckers like me and maybe suckers like you out there can read it. I did not come here to compromise my values to promote the interests of a political party.”

The courage Senator Smith showed in following his principles, even though it might cost him some of the perks and privileges the two major political parties of Washington can offer, is impressive.

Whether we agree or not with a particular stand, we can all appreciate people who follow their heart and their own moral compass. That’s far too rare in Washington.

But now comes the true test. As a presidential candidate Smith was virtually unknown outside of New Hampshire. Even in his home state he was getting only a couple percentage points of support for his presidential bid. So last week he threw in the towel.

Now rumors are swirling that Smith may return to the GOP fold to snatch a chairmanship of the Environment and Public Works Committee. The chairmanship will go to the Republican with the most seniority, which would be Smith except he isn’t a Republican anymore.

Senator Smith, this is where the rubber hits the road. Show us you mean what you said. Stick with principle.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

If you were found guilty of committing a crime and fined $5,000, would that be “positive”? No?

Then I guess you’re not a high-​priced lobbyist in Washington. Let me explain. Months ago I told folks about Ann Eppard, a lobbyist with very close ties to Rep. Bud Schuster, the powerful chairman of the House Transportation Committee who specializes in pork barrel. Eppard had been charged with taking $230,000 in illegal payments from special interests.

Now Eppard has copped a plea. She admits to taking an illegal $15,000 payment while working on the taxpayer’s tab as Rep. Schuster’s chief of staff. Eppard remarked, “This long and painful ordeal has reached a positive conclusion.”

Chairman Schuster said, “Our trust and respect for Ann remains intact.”

That’s right criminal wrongdoing is “positive” and to at least one deranged congressman worthy of “trust and respect.” Sure, Eppard’s glad she’s not sitting in a jail cell. But the real crime is that Rep. Bud Schuster of Pennsylvania continues to wield power as a committee chairman and can keep throwing our tax dollars around like confetti to increase his power. And how sad that in Washington career politicians and lobbyists celebrate their ability to get away with criminal behavior and keep on riding the congressional gravy train.

I guess crooks of a feather stick together.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

“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.