Thread: Congress deserves disapproval ratings

I just wanted to share this. Pretty much sums up a lot of my feelings.
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Charlie Edgren: Congress deserves disapproval ratings
by Charlie Edgren / The El Paso Times
Posted: 10/02/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT

When you open the dictionary and look up the definition of "Congress," you're going to get the wrong answer.

You might see some gobbledygook about legislatures and assemblies and bodies of senators and representatives.

Wrong. "Congress" should be defined in terms such as abdication of duty, betrayal of trust, even cowardice.

Legislatively speaking, Congress has left constituents effectively without representation as members fan out to their districts, many in delirious attempts to save their sinecures no matter what the cost.

They have plenty to worry about.

A recent RealClearPolitics poll average had Congress' approval rating at 20.5 percent. Or put another way, about 70 percent of those polled think Congress is doing a poor job.

Though nothing in politics is ever as it seems, this approval rating is going to cause a major reshuffling of seats and parties in the Nov. 2 elections. If that happens, it's richly deserved, no matter what party is involved.

Senators and reps fled Washington before approving a budget for the government year that began yesterday. That is a blatant abdication of their most basic of jobs -- forging the budget that keeps the government running.

Yeah, yeah, there's a continuing resolution that funds the government for the next couple of months. But shouldn't we be able to expect the people we elected to do one of their foundational jobs?

Keeping the government running with patchwork measures isn't a good idea, any more than it is
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for a family to use a patchwork budget. This is reason enough to wipe the slate clean and start over.

A statement by Sen. Harry Reid, Democrat from Nevada, pretty much sums up what at least the Senate considers its most important duty. Reid said, "We may not agree on much, but I think, with rare exception, all 100 senators want to get out of here and get back to their states."

Pathetic.

Lawmakers also scrambled wildly to get out of Dodge before they had to vote on extending tax cuts. This is a matter of great interest to Americans fighting to survive the Recession-That-Is-Officially-Over, many of whom need the cuts continued to keep their heads above water and bread on the table.

As it stands now, if the cuts aren't extended, most everyone is going to take a tax hit. But lawmakers were scared simple about tackling this problem and the effect it would have on the mid-term elections.

More than pathetic, this is an offense against every taxpayer in the country.

There's a lame-duck session of Congress scheduled for after the elections, but who knows what will happen then? Political retribution can be an ugly thing.

Once someone is elected and goes to Washington, there occurs a disconnect between that person and the very people who put him or her into office. The arrogance of office takes over and personal and political agendas take precedence over all else.

The low opinion which Americans have about Congress is absolutely and completely justified. Congress members don't represent the people who elected them and are so out of touch with the reality of what life is like for their constituents that they are essentially useless -- and that's starkly illuminated by the disapproval rating.

Lawmakers can carry on through low ratings. But they can't carry on if they lose an election.

Charlie Edgren is editorial page editor for the El Paso Times. E-mail: cedgren@elpasotimes.com

The two party system should be the definition of "FAILURE" In the dictionary. We no longer have seperation of power, seperation of state,or any form of checks and balances within Congress because the party In power makes up new rules as It goes along WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONSTITUTION. As an example, there Is no place IN THE CONSTITUTION that gives the Federal Government an {Exlusive right} to control Illegal Immigration,yet here we are with a far left PROGRESSIVE judge that makes a ruling that goes against everything that the CONSTITUTION says. The executive branch Is bypassing Congress and being allowed to file suit against a State that has a DUTY and a RIGHT to protect It's citizens !! The Democrats passed a 3 Trillion dollar entitlement program without ONE Republican vote by changing the rules of procedure In Congress. The entire system Is broken,and It Includes the Federal Reserve that Is attached at the hip to the Federal Government. It will take many election cycles and a more Informed voting public to make the changes that are needed to restore our REPUBLIC.... TS