It’s time once again for The Future American’s FAIL OF THE WEEK! Every Saturday, I name a person or group who has spent the past seven days behaving in a particularly idiotic way. Since it’s my belief that idiocy knows no politics, nobody is safe.
This week’s fail was brought to you by outgoing Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH), who announced his retirement from the House this week after nine terms. By most measures, he’s the kind of congressman I like: He’s popular, he’s non-controversial, he’s pro-Simpson-Bowles, he values compromise, he’s a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership (their answer to the Blue Dog Democrats) and he doesn’t fall into the trap of supporting politically motivated tax cuts. Why would I give him the fail, especially now that he’s retiring? It’s because of why he’s retiring:
It’s been my experience that compromise, cooperation, getting something done, is not rewarded. The group of people that are interested in that type of result — the circle’s becoming smaller and smaller. . . . There’s only so many times you can run your head into a cement wall.
Yeah, and? Tell us something we don’t know. But do you want to know the reason the circle’s becoming smaller and smaller? Because people like LaTourette keep making it smaller. Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) did it when they announced their retirements. (Still not a Nelson fan because of the Cornhusker Kickback, but at least he wasn’t a fire-breathing partisan.) All raised up their hands and said this to the possibility of congressional change.
I get how discouraging it is to watch the wingers win, but I have no sympathy for people who use the dearth of moderation as a reason to jump ship. This is also why I oppose the U.S. leaving the UN on the grounds that it’s full of anti-Western countries. The idea of the UN/Congress is too good to let it be overtaken by the inmates; it needs as many wardens as possible.
It would be one thing if LaTourette was retiring because he wanted to spend more time with his family. I wouldn’t buy it for a minute, but his real excuse, like those of the other two, comes off just plain whiny. So my solution is this: If it’s not ruining your health or breaking your bank, suck it up, stay in Congress and fix this shit. I don’t care how long it takes or how difficult it is. They can’t avoid you if you’re there.
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” comes to mind, but that’s giving the wingers too much credit. They’re too short-sighted to be evil.
