Henry David Thoreau
Much more is adoing than Congress wots of.
Charles Farrar Browne, 1865
Look at Congress–but no, I’d rather not look at Congress.
Sam Clemens
Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
H. L. Mencken
Congress consists of one-third, more or less, scoundrels; two-thirds, more or less, idiots; and three-thirds, more or less, poltroons.
Will Rogers
And kid Congress and the Senate, dont scold em. They are just children thats never grown up. They dont like to be corrected in company.
F. Lee Bailey
Can any of you seriously say the Bill of Rights could get through Congress today? It wouldn t even get out of committee.
I don’t know why people continue to expect more of Congress. As best as I can tell the only people who’ve had anything good to say about Congress have been members of Congress and that’s only to befuddle their more gullible constituents. Or because they want a job or a handout.
“I don’t know why people continue to expect more of Congress.”
I think this is a dead serious question, with implications for the prospects for the nation 50 years from now.
In my more serious moments I write pieces from time to time for another blogger. During the campaign I wrote one on this very theme. In short, why does the electorate continue, election cycle after election cycle, to vote for politicians who trot out the same old promises, to fix the same old problems ………………that never really get fixed? How do we explain this repetitive head on wall banging behavior?
It would be easy to blame stupidity, but that’s intellectually lazy. I don’t think the electorate, by and large, is stupid. Poorly informed? Yes. Stupid? No.
So your citations enforce the point that this is a longstanding issue. I would really enjoy your thoughts on this……..why do we collectively keep banging our heads on the wall, ceding efforts to solve problems to government…but when it doesn’t work, voting in the next guy assuming he will now finally get it right ? It is strange and irrational behavior. And given the looming issues we face with Medicare and SS, an irrational behavior that may take us to the tipping point.
Well stated, sir. Nice collection of quotes.