Politics

If one wants to fully appreciate the stranglehold the right wing has on the Republican Congressional agenda and its attendant dangers, one need look no further than the bill the House plans to consider next week, which would shut down the entire regulatory system.

The Hill’s Kevin Bogardus recently reported on the efforts of the American League of Lobbyists (“ALL”) and its president Howard Marlowe to strengthen the laws that require lobbyists to register and report their activities. Marlowe is smart to be undertaking this effort. Not only is it the right thing to do, but one can imagine he has an ulterior motive; he probably hopes that greater regulation will result in an improved public perception of lobbyists.
Marlowe is wise in the ways of Washington and his organization is on to something. While ALL pursues its legislative goal, however, it should do something else-- shift its focus to promoting a more fundamental principle. 

In his dissenting opinion to the United States Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, now-retired Justice John Paul Stevens wrote, “A democracy cannot function effectively when its constituent members believe laws are being bought and sold.”

By winning the recent recall election, with massive help from outside, and an electorate growing tired and angry at union tactics, Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) accomplished one major objective -- limiting the collective bargaining power of a large number of public service employees. The teachers, firemen and policemen were exceptions and went unscathed.

Conventional wisdom regarding Hispanic voters is likely to be rewritten by the 2012 elections. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s split decision on the Arizona immigration law, following on the heels by Obama’s easing of the deportation rules for young Hispanics, the Hispanic vote has never been more front and center in our politics.

More than 300 women, a record high, have filed to run for Congress this year, which means a likely gain of female members come November. In addition to greater parity for women--who’ve been chronically underrepresented--more women in Congress could bring another benefit: Less gridlock.

Female senators have a markedly more bipartisan vote record than their male peers do. Moreover, studies in personality research find that women are more cooperative than men, more willing to compromise, more empathetic and, moreover, more polite.

Since it is election season, don’t expect to hear many Republicans coming out for tax hikes or Democrats promising Social Security or Medicare spending cuts anytime soon. But Congress will eventually have to agree to some of both to avoid a U.S. Debt crisis that would do serious harm at home and would be felt around the world.

Another tremor of reform rattled a few political windows in California last week. Whether that portends a full scale quake and the collapse of the fortress the two political parties have erected to keep out invaders remains to be seen.

With last Tuesday’s test of the new open primary system – where all candidates appeared on a single ballot and the top two vote-getters from each district advanced to the general election regardless of party affiliation – California has taken another small step towards more political choice for voters and more accountability and competition for our politicians.

Last Tuesday was a terrible night for unions and a bad one for Wisconsin Democrats. After staking so much time, money and effort on the removal of Governor Scott Walker, the party saw almost an exact repeat of his 2010 election. For jubilant Republicans, despite losing control of the state Senate in the recall, this result confirms the strength of their message. For Barack Obama, there is a very different reaction. While he can’t be happy the Democrats lost, the vote totals and polls can allow him to breathe a sigh of relief. He is probably in no great danger of losing his electoral votes in the Badger State.

Woody Allen once famously said that, “90 percent of life is just showing up.”  Our members of Congress apparently aren’t big believers in this philosophy.

Among the many reasons for Congressional gridlock is the fact that they’re rarely in session together, if at all. This past May offered a representative example as the House and Senate were only in session at the same time during nine out of 22 available work days.

Congressional absenteeism is hardly a new problem. In the last 10 years, the House averaged only 135 days in session per calendar year, while the Senate averaged 160. But in recent years, it has reached tragicomic proportions, as some members don’t even show up when Congress is in session.