by Jack Lee
Well over 50% of Americans feel Congress is corrupt. and to add insult to injury a total 75% don't approve of the way Congress has handled their job. A glance at history says there have always been many examples of corruption to be found in Congress. "The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet." Mark Twain. And there was this other favorite quote, "An honest man in politics shines more there than he would elsewhere!"
Now moving ahead to recent times, we see examples like these: Wayne Hayes went down in scandal over a busty blond secretary hired only for sex, William Jefferson got caught with cold cash in his freezer, James Trafficant was indicted for tax evasion and racketeering, Randy "Duke" Cunningham fell to bribery, Mark Folley resigned over ex with an under age page, Sen. Larry Craig was caught in a sex sting in an airport men's room... and remember when 31 law makers were targeted in Abscam?
The list grows longer with each passing generation and it looks like Mark Twain was right.
Now on a local note in 1991, when the voters decided they were in need of a change in parties, John Doolittle entered Congress along with many others in a new wave of patriotic righteousness. He was fresh with ideas and idealism! The Democrats had made a mess of things and now these new Marshals, these men of good character, were determined to restore that lost trust and confidence back to the American people.
Doolittle was a firebrand and a leader of courage. He set about as a member in "The Gang of Seven", as they liked to refer to themselves, to right every wrong and expose every wrongdoer. Among his early accomplishments was his lead role in exposing the infamous House banking scandal. John T. Doolittle was man of rock solid ethics and he did not disappoint. He believed in God, the Constitution and the American way and in all respects he is one of us to his very core... in 1991. Now these many years later he has left Congress during an election year and amid a widespread corruption scandal.
You have to ask yourself, what happened? I don't pretend to know the mind of Mr. Doolittle but I do know this, he was a good man that served his country well for many years, just like Randy "Duke" Cunnignham who was also a fighter pilot ace and I also know temptation in Washington is beyond belief and it exists on so many levels.
Congress has the power to influence the flow for hundreds of billions of dollars and somebody always desperately wants some of the action or something else from these men of good character every minute of every day.
To remain above the dirt and corruption associated with such enormous power is a feat in itself. Especially, while being assured by your so-called political friends that "everybody does it" and "it's ok" because you have to bend the rules occasionally if you really want to get things done. Sometimes I wonder if we are not asking too much of these mortals?
It takes someone of almost superhuman conscience and character to resist the monstrous temptations that challenge our men and women in Congress year after year and all it takes is just one time to cross that fine line, a line that has been well camouflaged in ways that only Washington insiders can appreciate.
As the old saying goes, "When you dance with the devil, you don't change the devil, the devil changes you". And that is the risk faced by every elected official in Congress. So the next time when you see your local Representative why not thank him/her for being honest and staying out of the scandals? Give them our encouragement to stay strong even though you might take exception to some of their political votes. Wally Herger is that kind of ethical man and you might fault him for his politics, but you can't fault him for his integrity and for that he has my respect.
Congress is not a culture of corruption... it is only a reflection of our culture.
In closing just one more thought from a letter written to a friend by Mark Twain, "Yes, you are right--I am a moralist in disguise; it gets me into heaps of trouble when I go thrashing around in political questions" I can relate only too well to this one!
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