Robert J. Kaiser Quotes
If we have a mediocre Congress—even when it manages to accomplish something—it is because of the people in it and the culture they have created.
The Congress at the time was one of the worst in American history, accomplishing little more than nothing, mired in gridlock and ideological hyperpartisanship, with little concern for the nation as a whole. Other critics observe that it is the voting public that elected and re-elected the Congress and therefore must share the responsibility.
Robert J. Kaiser, Journalist & Political Columnist, Congressional Analyst, “Even When It Succeeds, Congress Fails”, The Washington Post, May 26, 2013
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
At the time, most members never read the bills they voted on, though some tended to read earlier versions. The bills were very long—sometimes as long as 2000 pages. Usually a few members of Congress worked with Congressional Staffs and lobbyists to finalize bills. It was believed that the lobbyists were the only people who read the entire bills in all their versions.
Louis had maintained that the earmark was a cowardly and corrupt way of a congressman bringing pork back to their districts and paying back campaign contributors. He argued that if what the Congressmen were doing were right, why not introduce a bill publicly, debate it, defend it, and try to get a majority for it rather than sneak it in some large piece of legislation without anyone knowing who even introduced the legislation or got the pork into the bill.
as a result of the Watergate hearings and investigations and proceedings
After 34 years of serving as one of the most effective Senators, he had just been defeated in his primary election by a hyper partisan Republican conservative extremist who attacked Lugar for his comity and bipartisanship.
In addition to this put down of Southern politicians, this quotation shows us that politically short sighted leaders in modern America is not a unique phenomenon. Adams makes this general complaint about politicians in 1861, North and South. The lesser assessment of Southern politicians continued into modern times and will likely exist until the South reaches educational, industrial, cultural and scientific parity with the rest of the nation.
The House of Representatives trying to adjust to Tea Party members voted against anything Democrats were for even if Republicans had created the legislation and previously supported it. The Congress the previous year had been the least productive in American history and it was mired in hyper-partisan gridlock, and the American public was fed up with Congress.
