An essay on America

Osky News

Editors Note: The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are not necessarily the views or opinions of Osky News.

By R.D. KEEP

After being interrupted by a myriad of campaign ads on TV, radio, my mailbox and telephone it is obvious to me that every candidate on the national stage is scrambling to save their job rather than do their job. The movie “An American President” may be more accurate than we care to admit.

No wonder voters are confused trying to sort through the rhetoric, the claims and in some cases lies. Many of the issues we as voters have are out of our frustration with laws enacted. However, the people running for the top job in the land may not be able to control any law enacted.

I submit that the problem with our country lies not necessarily with the person sitting in the Oval Office at any given time, but with the number of Congressmen who are “serving for life” there is no wonder the same issues are still issues. Every President in my lifetime has faced the same issues candidates are campaigning on this year. So it appears it is the same people making the decisions that created the problem in the first place.

According to Jennifer E. Manning, information research specialist with the Congressional Research Service, in her August 1, 2012 report, states that the average length of service for Representatives of the 112th Congress is 9.8 years and the senate is 11.4. Nearly half of the senate (49) has served in both houses.

If there was ever a call for term limits in Congressional Federal service it is now. Currently there are two members of the House who went into the House of Representatives during the Eisenhower administration, one during the Johnson era, four more during the Nixon years. One that came in during the Nixon years is now in the Senate.

The year 1976 brought in the most of those men who are serving the longest including Iowa’s two Senators, who began their Federal careers. I would submit that this is the real reason little is accomplished in Washington is that these career politicians are working to keep their jobs instead of doing them.

Keep in mind that this illustrious group could have included Robert Byrd and Edward Kennedy, whose replacements came in following their untimely deaths in 2009 and 2012. Byrd came into office during the Truman administration while Kennedy joined the Senate during his brother’s administration.

I would be remiss if I did not state that length of service alone is not the culprit of our ills as a nation. However, we are asking a group of men who created the problems to solve them. Instead we blame the person who sits in the Oval Office. The reality of our national debt is that it would have reached double-digit trillions regardless of who was in office. Not that the current administration did not add to it, but they are not the only ones responsible. The politicians for life who vote in the Congress make these decisions that lead to the increase in the debt.

Iowa senators Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley have done wonderful things for Iowa during their tenures. They have fought hard for Iowans in various ways. Their decisions have helped millions of Americans, but it is a time that we bring them home when their terms are complete. In the House Leonard Boswell has been since 1992. He promised eight years but has been there for nearly 20. Tom Latham is nearing that threshold as well.

These representatives are comfortable and have created nest eggs. The longer they are there the more complacent they are about maintaining status quo. When a person is in the same position for a long period of time they gain control. We saw this recently in sports at Penn State.

We are a country of people who are in need of real leadership. I am not seeing it in any of our national level candidates. We need people who have our point of view. The Presidential candidates say there are for the middle class, but neither truly understands. If so they would sponsor $50 a plate dinners not $5,000 a plate. Neither of the major candidates are part of the class. They are members of the elite.

What Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama do understand is that it is the middle class who elects them. However, it is the upper class that funds their campaigns. It makes no difference if a CEO making $14 million or a movie star making $14 million, it is the haves that are buying the campaigns.

This election is an important one and all who are legal voters should participate. I would, however, urge you to hold your vote until within a week of Election Day to fully see what the respective candidates offer. A lot is at stake, but it is more than just for President.

America must wake up and realize that the current vote is not a single issue or single person, but a collective vote. Americans should demand term limits. The idea that if you do not like a candidate then you can vote them out. That may be true, but I cannot vote legally in the states with career politicians.

Votes need to be considered carefully and not based on whether you like one candidate over another. Look at the overall picture and be informed when you go to the polls.