Here we go again. Power has been abused by a politician. A congressman has been forced to resign. This time around, the offender was Florida congressman Mark Foley. The victims were underage House pages. It is beginning to look as if House Speaker Dennis Hastert could ultimately take the fall for the Foley scandal. Evidently, he failed to investigate the possibility that Foley was making inappropriate sexual advances toward minors, even after “over-friendly” email exchanges between Foley and a page were brought to the attention of his staff.

Should Hastert have done more to investigate the possibility that Foley was lying? Probably. Did he deliberately ignore or conceal evidence that Foley was sexually interested in underage pages? Probably not. The sin was almost certainly one of omission, not one of commission.

Unfortunately, sins of omission are all too easy to commit in today’s political environment. In D.C., it can be easy to go with the flow, covering each other’s backs, perhaps without really thinking things through. Hastert did not create this atmosphere, but he, like any other politician, doubtless can’t help but be impacted by it.

In D.C., of course, everything is about power. Obtaining it. Protecting it. Keeping it. America is one of the world’s super powers, and much of that power is concentrated within a few square miles in Washington, D.C. Even honest people must have a hard time keeping a level head, acting rationally even as they live for years or decades in the middle of such a surreal world.

Why, then, are we so surprised when long-serving congressmen make decisions that seem completely illogical to those of us living outside the Beltway?

Over the years, many good and decent congressmen have gone to Washington. They do well at first. But after a while, they become acclimated to the “way that things are done in Washington.” They make small compromises that don’t seem like such a big deal. “After all,” a politician might say to himself, “this compromise will help my party to stay in power. If we are in the majority, think of all the good things that we can do for the country.”

The politician might even be right. The first time. Or the second time. But eventually, he is asked to make bigger compromises. Before long, honest and decent men find themselves acting in ways that they would never have dreamed of mere years before. This phenomenon happens over and over again, both at the state and federal levels.

Fiscal conservatives begin voting for inflated budgets. Or maybe they talk themselves into thinking that new types of taxes are a good idea. They no longer talk about shrinking the government, and, unsurprisingly, all sorts of new bureaucracies begin to pop up. Some representatives completely lose it, and they stoop even lower, perhaps accepting bribes or committing other crimes.

Anyone can lose touch with reality if he spends too much time at the center of power. The Founders knew that this aspect of human nature can be dangerous, and they provided constitutional safeguards against such abuses. American government contains many checks and balances. Power is not only separated among the judiciary, executive, and legislature, but it is also divided between the federal and state governments.

It is long past time to add one new safeguard to these already-existing constitutional protections. The implementation of term limits for congressional seats is long overdue. Human nature is susceptible to seductive influences after too many years in the seat of power. We should give representatives and senators a reason to go home before their heads have been turned too far—as they almost inevitably will.

Many of our representatives have been in Washington for too long. Their extended tenure has caused them to forget what they were sent to Washington to do. They have become so focused on keeping their jobs that they forget to do their jobs. Even basically good and honest people, such as Dennis Hastert, end up making mistakes.

The power-laden atmosphere inside the Beltway will always be inherently corrupting, at least to some degree, but we, the people, can and should ensure that these influences are tempered and moderated. Term limits would ensure that turnover is high. As new men and women constantly enter the decision-making arena, a badly needed dose of reality would be introduced into Washington life.

Such positive influences would help everyone—Democrats and Republicans alike.

Comments (0)

Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment