A CALL FOR DIGNITY IN CONGRESS

The names of Sen. John McCain, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and Sen. Ted Cruz are names historians should list in the “political hall of shame”. The case in point is the Senate Hearing on President Obama’s nominee for Sec. of Defense. It is not the first or the last hearing during which the American people will see our senators acting in a despicable manner. I selected these three senators because in my mind each represents a different but basic fault commonly seen in the Congress of the United States.

Sen. John McCain has divorced himself from the people he represents. Because of his senior position and the enormous treasure chest of accumulated campaign funds, he has not fear of not being reelected. In addition, he is a bitter old man having lost his bid for election as president. The result is a release of an innate personality best reflected in the label John “McNasty”.

Sen. Lindsey Graham was playing to a powerful lobby. Most of the Jewish vote in the United States goes to the Democrats—he as a Republican knows that. Therefore, he must do everything he can to convince that block of votes that he is on their side. His ungentlemanly conduct during the hearing reflected that. He is no more interested in who is Secretary of Defense than Donald Duck.

Sen. Ted Cruz represents his political party in the State of Texas, but not the state as a whole. The typical Texas macho man—the Republican—does not want a “man of peace” to be the secretary of Defense. They want a tough guy, a guy with a big stick who is not afraid to use it. These types are in the majority in Texas, which according to the conservative modus operandi gives him the right to not compromise that is to act as if 100% of the people voted for him and not 51% (?). However, it is not his politics but the manner of his representation of his constituents in the hearings is the question here.

These three senators contributed greatly to the bad impression the American people have of their Congress. One acted without respect because of a personality trait, another for a political motive, and the third because of uncompromising political beliefs. Regardless of the motive, the result is the same; a loss of the respect of the people. These three are only examples that stand out because of the Hagel hearings, but they are not alone. We can see the same conduct happens in hearing after hearing, issue debate after issue debate: gun, immigration, taxes. Isn’t it about time we start to demand some decorum, stateliness, and dignity, or at least mature conduct, of our representative?

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