If you think of all of the problems we as a nation face (from the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac mortgage issue; to gas prices; to the fact the dollar is so weak Anheuser Busch is no longer an American company) you might believe Congress should be doing SOMETHING about anything.
If the latest National Journal Congressional Insiders Poll is any indication, we shouldn't hold our breath:
Q: Would it be politically smart for your party to act on only a limited legislative agenda before the November election?
Democrats (39 votes)
Yes 67 percent
No 31 percent
Depends (volunteered) 3 percent
[snip]
Republicans (36 votes)Yes 53 percent
No 44 percent
No difference (volunteered) 3 percent
That's right, for political purposes, the majority of each party on Capitol Hill feel it would be best to sit on their laurels until after the November Election.
This is part of the reason people get so frustrated with politics, because so often it's a politician's career placed above politician's constituents. They're both more interested in being able to blame the other party for failure than actually doing anything. Too bad it would take a Constitutional Amendment to make term limits a reality, which needs to be approved by Congress, because this is the greatest argument for them.
Unfortunately, too few of us take advantage of the tool the Founding Fathers gave us to limit the terms of the ineffective: Voting. This is a system we as voters have allowed to develop. Until we step up to the plate and hold politicians accountable at the polls, they won't change.
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