Wanted: A Congress that puts our interests first

I know two things. One, I’m sick and tired of what’s been going on in D.C., and two, I’m not alone in this.

So, here’s one way to explain the results of the recent Senate race in Massachusetts.

The people of that state basically told politicians nationwide: “Hey, you people are nothing more than the hired help and, oh, by the way, you’re not doing the job.”

For what it’s worth, I’ve got friends who are more conservative than I am and others who are as liberal as can be — whatever those two terms mean these days.

There’s a local surgeon, Dr. Sid Schwab, who writes a blog (“Cutting Through the Crap,” http://sidschwab.blogspot.com) that I never miss. If you went by what passes for political descriptions, we’d be described as polar opposites.

But that’s simply not true.

Dr. Schwab is intelligent, thoughtful, incisive, direct, and deeply concerned for the welfare of this country.

How on earth could he be my political enemy?

We want the same things. A secure nation. A sound economy. Thoughtful discourse. Politicians willing to take a broader view than those put forth by their (for lack of a better term) leadership.

None of which we’re getting because we’ve let the ideologues of both parties run rampant for far too long.

If you ask me, this country is hungry for people who’ll govern from the common sense center. People who’ll look at good ideas no matter their origin and debate those ideas from the point of view of what’s best for the country — party and political power be damned.

The problem we have, gentle reader, is that our current “leaders” are, very simply, stunningly embarrassing.

Watching this crowd “work” is akin to watching a children’s playground argument minus the reasoning, sincerity and logical arguments used by those on the playground.

I doubt that the founding fathers ever intended for this nation to be run by career politicians. I think they would’ve choked on the thought of providing retirement plans, automatic pay raises or a separate medical plan for those elected from among a public that might not have any of the above.

The idea, methinks, was that we’d elect individuals who would — extremely reluctantly — take time from their careers in order to meet in Washington to discuss (and actually attempt to solve) the problems facing their communities in particular and the nation as a whole.

They might succeed, they might fail, but — after a short term of service — the idea was that they’d return to their homes, resume their careers, and let someone else carry the burden.

I’m hoping that we’re reaching a point where we’re so disgusted that we throw the lot of them out, pick the best and brightest individuals we can find, beg them to represent us, promise them that they won’t have to stay, and then allow (or force) them to come home.

I’m a realist, though, and like the blogging surgeon, I don’t hold out much hope for things getting better. Instead, I think that the arguing will get louder, the speeches more shrill, and the “solutions” more idiotic — if such is possible.

Too much money, too many lobbyists, and too many powerful groups have their fingers on the strings that guide the puppets in D.C.

But this election in Massachusetts says that there’s simmering anger and real frustration out here. It says that the poohbahs ignore us at their own peril — and that’s good.

The Republicans had a shot at living up to their stated beliefs and flat out blew it.

The Democrats promised “hope” and “change” and proceeded to prove that their “beliefs” were every bit as jettisonable as those of the Republicans.

I’d feed the lot of them into the industrial shredder at Seattle Iron and Metals, but I think even that machine would gag on them.

Next election, though, I’ll be looking for individuals who view D.C. as a fetid swamp of putrifying morality, but are willing to hold their noses, go there, and give common sense and honesty a shot.

When (or if) I find those individuals, I’m going to vote for them.

And, after a few short years, I’m going to vote them home — for their and our own good.

And I don’t believe that I’m alone in this.

Larry Simoneaux lives in Edmonds. Send comments to larrysim@clearwire.net.