May 3, 1998


Cleaning Up Congress

Can it be done?


I have a concern I would like to express even though it doesn’t seem to worry other people at this time. I am wondering just how our political system is going to ever get straight enough to concentrate on the business of doing what is best for the majority of the people?

For over five years now, the president of our nation has taken considerable abuse from opponents. The majority of the abuse has been based on allegations, not facts. Language has been used against President Clinton which is not indicative of professionals in the slightest.

Often, legislation has been held up by party politics, not the issue itself. The budget battle was a good example of this and we all know the results of it - a government shut-down.

Are we now destined to go through this with every admininstration? Right now, just who could be elected or appointed that has a squeaky clean background?

Who do we have that has not done something unethical or illegal concerning campaign funding?

Who do we have that has never done anything immoral, that does not have the potential of a Jones or Lewinsky in their backgrounds?

Who do we have that actually lives the family values so often brought up, even that prior to a divorce never had an extra- marital affair, including oral sex for those who are confused about morality and specific sex acts (Gingrich types)?

Who has not succumbed to party pressures rather than doing as they thought right? Who, in example, has not went with a major contributor in a legislative decision and against the good of the majority of the people?

Who has not led people to believe falsehoods about an opponent or lied to their constituencies and/or the American people during a campaign?

Can any person now in Congress claim absolute integrity, morality, pure ethical behavior, always legislating in favor of the majority of the people, never misusing funds (including padding expense accounts or turning a trip into an expense by talking for five minutes about some issue), and returning favors for the major contributors and actually be speaking the truth?

Just who has the moral, ethical and legal integrity now being demanded of Mr. Clinton?

I think not any and I also think until Congress is made up of 535 people who have led moral, ethical lives that we will continue in the same grain as we have, a situation quite possibly based more on party politics than any actual concern about family values.

Washington could very well bog down forever from the hanging out of its dirty laundry.

Quite a legacy being developed, Ladies and Gentlemen, isn’t it?