The Same Congress

Approval ratings for our elected officials have jumped to the highest point in memory. That’s not surprising, given the shock and terror of 9/11 and the wartime conditions. But while many of our officials are serving admirably, Congress doesn’t deserve the same merit badge.

First, there’s the matter of how Senator Daschle dissed the house. When deadly anthrax threatened the capitol, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and House Speaker Denny Hastert apparently reached an agreement to close the capitol. But then the Senators changed their minds and even attacked the House as some kind of sissies. I don’t think that kind of petty backstabbing is very statesmanlike. And Congress has chosen this time when we’re a tad preoccupied to throw money at every special interest under the sun. Gone are the triple-digit surplus and the so-called Social Security surplus they’d promised never to touch. Now we’re running $50 billion in deficit. Some emergency spending is unavoidable, but not nearly as much as we’ve seen. And to top it all off, Congress is stealing yet another pay raise! Now they’ll rake in $150,000 a year.

Even as people face the uncertainty of sons and daughters in harm’s way, soaring unemployment and tough times ahead, the politicians are flocking to feather their own nests. In the face of terror, the American people have risen to the occasion. We will remain the same America that has so often been a beacon of liberty and hope to the world. But, unfortunately, the same America has the same old Congress. One thing that sure should change.

This is Common Sense.  I’m Paul Jacob.