The House of Representatives has 435 members whose sole purpose is to legislate in the best interests of the people of this nation. However, whether the majority of the members want it or not, House and Senate leaders can stop a measure from being put up to a vote by our representatives and senators.

In this case, Gingrich, along with the support of other Republican leaders such as Armey, stopped the Shays-Meehan bipartisan measure which would have banned soft money contributions on a national and state level. Senate leaders following Trent Lott (Senate Republican leader), did the same.

Now, think about this. We are a representative democracy, a Republic, which means that our elected representatives in Washington are there to determine governing based on the needs and wants of the majority. In essence, the majority in either the House or the Senate represents the voting of the majority of the people.

When Gingrich and his close associates in the House realized the measure was likely to pass, it was prevented from being voted on by the House. The Senate leaders did the same. Therefore, a few people in power stopped the voices of the majority from being heard.

Gingrich, along with Armey, Trent, and others, denied the people of this nation the essence of a democratic form of government and supported an oligarchical totalitarian type government in that their power, the power of a few, exceeded the power of the majority.

Furthermore, it is indicative of less-than-honorable men that are more concerned about their self-interests and the interests of the contributors that control them than they are of the many who put them in office.

Thus, once again, Ladies and Gentlemen, Washington political leaders have proven just how corrupt they and the system are, that it is not, as Abe Lincoln so eloquently phrased it, a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.