Eugene Robinson, my favorite Op-Ed columnist in the Washington Post has written a thoughtful piece today on the mountain of issues facing our new president, which Robinson describes as 'a presidency on steroids.' We all know them, they're cataloged for us everyday and Robinson adds a new list to such things as the closing of Guantanamo, health insurance for children, changing unwanted policies from the Bush administration. The mess in the Middle East looms large. Now in addition the president's responsibility for this mammoth stimulus package may cause him to become in addition to his presidential role, an auto executive, a banker, a mortgage broker and quite possibly other jobs as well.
On top of all of this is the sad display of the House Republicans voting to a person against the $787 billion stimulus bill, and only Republican senators Specter, Snow and Collins daring to march out of step with their party. More than any other time that I can remember, Congress, the first branch of government is broken. It's always easier to see the faults than it is to find solutions, but the faults are glaring. It seems to me so long as Congress is organized on the seniority system with the inertia built into it, with members following the marching orders of the lobbyists, with the fact that unless they commit something scandalous enough to land them on the front page, most incumbents will be reelected term after term. In the case of the House of Representatives, two year terms dictate that members must begin campaigning for the next term on the day the present one begins. Senators, on the other hand, serve for six years, when I believe, four would be better.
A broken presidency can be fixed by voting out one person, that can't be accomplished in Congress.
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