Help, We're in a Living Hell and Don't Know How to Get Out

[babylonsister]

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/congress-living-hell-1114


Help, We're in a Living Hell and Don't Know How to Get Out
By Mark Warren on October 15, 2014


I spoke with ninety members of the House and Senate about what's gone so wrong in Congress. Sometimes it got a little emotional.

"I didn't get elected to Congress to not get things done—most people here want to get things done. I didn't get elected to Congress to make meaningless speeches on C-SPAN and tell lies about people. I didn't get elected to Congress to scare the hell out of the country and drive the sides further apart. I didn't get elected to Congress because I love politics—I hate politics, to be perfectly honest, and if I didn't before I got here, I do now… ."

The man is very angry, about the way his life is going, about Washington, about some things he has found himself saying that he wishes he could take back—he got carried away, total herd mentality, just so juvenile. People in public life should take stuff back more often, apologize more, and correct course more—now that would be making a real statement, maybe even be a breath of fresh air for the public. But he would just be screwing himself, he goes on, because those guys at Heritage Action or Club for Growth or Americans for Prosperity or some other goddamn group with an Orwellian name that thrives off of division and exists to create conflict might primary him, drop $3 million on his head, and he would be dead. And the way his district is drawn, you can't ever be conservative enough. He could get up at one of his town halls and say that the president is a transvestite Muslim from Mars and get a standing ovation. He wants to do the right thing and make a public stand for greater decency and civility in public life. But he can't. Oh, in his own quiet way he does. He has many friends who happen to be Democrats. "No matter what it seems, we don't hate each other," he says. "We are civil, we try to get to know each other, and most of us work hard to find areas of agreement, things that we can make progress on. People are stunned when I tell them that, because from the outside it just looks so bad."

big snip//

And when you talk to this many members of Congress, you discover from many of them what can only be described as a yearning for humility and civility. "I have two lovely offices in the Capitol," says Senator Leahy. "One is very ornate, and huge, with a large conference table, and I can bring senators there, with no staff, and we sit and talk. That's where the immigration bill happened. My other office has a balcony overlooking the Mall. And there I'll have Prayer Hour and Holy Water, as we call it. One senator was invited foigater.' And he said, 'Oh! Well, that's kosher. I can come.' "

Leahy has been in the U. S. Senate for forty years and is known by all to be an expert legislator and reliable negotiating partner. He names some of the giants—Democrats, Republicans—with whom he has served. Everett Dirksen. Mike Mansfield. Howard Baker. George Mitchell. Bob Dole. "Boy, in those days, you'd have never dreamed of giving your word and not keeping it," he says, his voice trailing off. "Never dreamed …"

And with that, a final discovery: When you talk to so many members of Congress, you realize that those who are widely reviled can do much more damage than those who are widely respected can do good, and with half the effort.

[gwheezie]

1. I read the article

can any of them muster up some courage? How hard is it to be truthful and take a little heat from the base? It's not like we're asking them to take care of ebola patients or fight in a war or try to live on minimum wage or stretch a dollar to eat or be homeless and mentally ill. They asked for the job but they can't stand up to Ted Cruz? I have a hard time feeling sorry for them when they fuck up so badly. They need to grow a pair of ovaries and do their job.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Certain realities are apparent

Anyone who sticks his or her neck out gets whacked with a money bomb, and the point about the map is key. The combination of the lack of competitive districts (which makes anyone who moves toward the center vulnerable to being primaried), CU financing mayhem and media haterade makes a bad situation much worse.

[Egnever]

7. So the need to retain their seat is more important than doing what they came to do.

Seems kind of silly to complain about it if in reality all you really care about is retaining your seat.

[BeyondGeography]

8. "What they came to do," I'm sure that varies

A fair number are just there for the ride, human nature being what it is. The private sector ain't no bowl of cherries either and those pension bennies are quite nice in comparison. So you play along and, for a lot of them, I'm sure it comes quite naturally. What comes through in the article for me at least is the barriers to less-than-awful politics and shitty outcomes have been made significantly worse by money and mapping.

[moondust]

6. Not just "a little heat from the base."

I'm not sure who started it or how common it is, but party leadership in Washington can screw anybody who doesn't march in lockstep. Bad assignments on dead-end committees, etc.

As Majority Whip, DeLay earned the nickname "The Hammer" for his enforcement of party discipline in close votes and his reputation for wreaking political vengeance on opponents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_DeLay

That was even before Citizens United and the flood of money.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Absolutely awesome reporting

Completely strangled by money (Citizens Unightmare) and the map. Great, albeit pretty dark, read. Here's one of many tidbits I liked, this is re. Rubio:

..."And he kinda looked at me and I looked at him, and I said, 'I guess we're here all night.' And he says, 'You know, this'll all get better.' And I said, 'What do you mean?' And he says, 'Well, after the election.' I said, 'Really. Really? You think it's gonna change after the election?' He goes, 'Yeah!' I said, ' 'Cause somehow President Romney and you guys being in the majority is magically gonna change all this?' I said, 'We're gonna do exactly to you what you're doing to us. And we're gonna hold you here as many nights as you're holding us.' And he looks at me and he's like, 'That's depressing.' I said, 'No, it's reality. We gotta learn to work together.'

[The Magistrate]

3. I Have Zero Sympathy, Ma'am

All he has to do is vote like a patriot and take the consequences.

"A coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man but once."

"Courage is the form every virtue takes at the sticking point."

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. Republicans dropped tons of toxic shit in the well

and "privately" they now complain the water tastes funny?

Newt wrote the book on demonizing political opponents (following the lead of Red Baiting, the Southern Strategy, Nixon, Helms, Atwood, etc) and they have accelerated the downward spiral at every opportunity.