From David Brooks at the New York Times:
John McCain opposed the farm bill. In an impassioned speech on Monday, he declared: “It would be hard to find any single bill that better sums up why so many Americans in both parties are so disappointed in the conduct of their government, and at times so disgusted by it.”
McCain has been in Congress for decades, but he has remained a national rather than a parochial politician. The main axis in his mind is not between Republican and Democrat. It’s between narrow interest and patriotic service. And so it is characteristic that he would oppose a bill that benefits the particular at the expense of the general.
It’s worth a few minutes. The opening paragraphs are very interesting.
H/T: Our reader Kathryn.
1 response so far ↓
1 Leapin // May 21, 2008 at 11:59 am
Patriotic service to the country has long been out of vogue. Having political power and insuring that one becomes a millionaire in office or by the time one is out of office is in vogue. After one is out of office additional income can be made as a lobbyist, often for a foreign entity, whose agenda is in conflict with patriotic service to America. The coming economic collapse of the country will be through the continual increase in taxes that the politicians need for their unnecessary and wasteful programs and policies and, more insidiously, through the inflation (think ethanol mandates and subsidies) that their programs, policies, taxes and borrowing are causing.
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