Mending “the broken branch” of government
David Broder of The Washington Post wrote recently that Congress is the “broken branch” of government.
Broder bemoaned problems ranging from “runaway budgets to the lobbying scandals to the near abandonment of effective oversight of executive agencies.”
Also, “impotence and inaction, not just on immigration, but on energy, health care and the war in Iraq.”
He said Congress needs reform, a new spirit and new people.
But he did not mention what it most needs: competitive elections.
So long as virtually every member of the House holds a virtual lock on his or her seat – thanks to redistricting – they have little fear that voters will penalize them for anything they do or don’t do in Washington.
Mending “the broken branch” of government
David Broder of The Washington Post wrote recently that Congress is the “broken branch” of government.
Broder bemoaned problems ranging from “runaway budgets to the lobbying scandals to the near abandonment of effective oversight of executive agencies.”
Also, “impotence and inaction, not just on immigration, but on energy, health care and the war in Iraq.”
He said Congress needs reform, a new spirit and new people.
But he did not mention what it most needs: competitive elections.
So long as virtually every member of the House holds a virtual lock on his or her seat – thanks to redistricting – they have little fear that voters will penalize them for anything they do or don’t do in Washington.