Bennett's crystal ball
You may disagree -- as I often do -- with Utah's Sen. Bob Bennett on what government ought to do. But it's hard to disagree with the long-time senator, and son of a senator, when he describes what government does do, and why.
Bennett was in to pay a courtesy call on The Tribune's Editorial Board today, and we were interested in how he saw tomorrow's congressional elections turning out. Before taking a conference call from White House political genius Karl Rove, Bennett explained how he disagreed with Rove's prediction that their Republican Party will retain control of the House of Representatives.
"The House is gone," Bennett said.
The swing will probably be narrow, though, because state legislatures have so gerrymandered congressional districts from coast to coast that very few of them are competitive, even in years when the national political winds may be shifting significantly.
As Bennett pointed out, the framers of the Constitution intended for one house of Congress to be selected by the people and the other by the state Legislatures. And they are. The curve is that the original Constitution had senators chosen by state legislatures and House members elected by the people. Now, with direct election of senators and hopelessly gerrymandered House districts drawn by whatever party holds a state's Capitol, it's senators elected by the people and House members chosen by the legislatures.
The Senate, Bennett predicts with admitted optimism, will stay Republican, if only by a vote or two. His hope is that, with a lame duck in both the president's and vice president's office, and a Senate Majority Leader (Mitch McConnell) and Minority Leader (Harry Reid) who are not running for president, some real work may get done over the next two years -- at least in the Senate.
Of course, not everyone has the same definition of "getting work done." Bennett, for example, sees a Democratic House as about to launch on "vengance" for mistreatment at the hands of Republican leaders. Others of might see any push to rein in White House and Republican excess on everything from environmental policy to secret prisons as a long-overdue correction.
Stay tuned.
-- George Pyle
Bennett was in to pay a courtesy call on The Tribune's Editorial Board today, and we were interested in how he saw tomorrow's congressional elections turning out. Before taking a conference call from White House political genius Karl Rove, Bennett explained how he disagreed with Rove's prediction that their Republican Party will retain control of the House of Representatives.
"The House is gone," Bennett said.
The swing will probably be narrow, though, because state legislatures have so gerrymandered congressional districts from coast to coast that very few of them are competitive, even in years when the national political winds may be shifting significantly.
As Bennett pointed out, the framers of the Constitution intended for one house of Congress to be selected by the people and the other by the state Legislatures. And they are. The curve is that the original Constitution had senators chosen by state legislatures and House members elected by the people. Now, with direct election of senators and hopelessly gerrymandered House districts drawn by whatever party holds a state's Capitol, it's senators elected by the people and House members chosen by the legislatures.
The Senate, Bennett predicts with admitted optimism, will stay Republican, if only by a vote or two. His hope is that, with a lame duck in both the president's and vice president's office, and a Senate Majority Leader (Mitch McConnell) and Minority Leader (Harry Reid) who are not running for president, some real work may get done over the next two years -- at least in the Senate.
Of course, not everyone has the same definition of "getting work done." Bennett, for example, sees a Democratic House as about to launch on "vengance" for mistreatment at the hands of Republican leaders. Others of might see any push to rein in White House and Republican excess on everything from environmental policy to secret prisons as a long-overdue correction.
Stay tuned.
-- George Pyle
3 Comments:
Of all of Utah's rethug congressmen, Bennett is the only one that I wouldn't cross the street to avoid (and that includes Matheson). He really does seem to care about the people he represents, unlike Mr. quack-nostrums Hatch, who only cares about himself and his campaign contributors. (When are the people of this state going to wise up and run him out of town on a rail; tar and feathers would be nice too!). But I had to laugh at your description of "Turd Blossom" Rove as a "political genius." Yeah, some genius, who has brought Bush to 30% approval ratings and the GOP House and Senate even lower. Rove has bullied, lied and cheated his way to power but praise the gods, maybe he'll finally get his well-deserved comeupance. I doubt we'll see him in an orange jumpsuit with an ankle bracelet, as he so richly deserves, but at least the media wills quit using the phoney the "genius" term to describe someone who is really only a liar and a cheat.
Time for a legal, NEW REVOLUTION
"The Declaration of RE-Independence", S.O.S. for the U.S.A., using the only UN-used section of our founding papers~~~
http://s2.excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=24582 or
http://thekeeperoftheflame.blogspot.com
Senator Bennett is the best.
Post a Comment
<< Home