Where Have All the Centrists Gone?

Was anyone really surprised with the recent failure of the "Super Committee" to find consensus on a debt reduction/increased income/tax reform package and move this country forward given the utter gridlock that has taken over and paralyzed the legislative process for months?  With built-in automatic budget cuts of $1.2 trillion scheduled to kick in January 2013, no doubt we will see further jockeying to either postpone, reshuffle or eliminate them entirely.  It makes one wonder what has happened to the elected representative model of legislative compromise that has been the bedrock of our democratic system for almost a quarter century.  Ironically, even in 1776 our founding fathers sought common ground on issues including the very composition of Congress that has evolved into the stagnated body we endure today, which Ben Stein compared on CBS's Sunday Morning show this morning to a group of zombies.



According to a study of voting practices in the Senate over the past thirty years conducted by CBS News and the National Journal, moderates have been disappearing at drastic rates ever since 1982, as reflected by the table below which categorizes liberals as BLUE, moderates as YELLOW and conservatives as RED.
YEAR       BLUE       YELLOW       RED
1982             10                 60                 30
1994             29                 36                 35
2002             45                   9                 46
2010             45                   0                 55

Not only does this study confirm the total absence of any centrists in the Senate today, it also reveals a marked trend toward conservatism during this period which has been obvious to anyone who follows the news.  But even during Ronald Reagan's presidency there was at least a spirit of cooperation and compromise because of the existence of conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans who actually enjoyed socializing on a personal level with their counterparts.  Although they may have fought heated battles in the chamber over policy issues, when push came to shove they recognized the absolute imperative of achieving legislative progress to avoid the very stalemates that have been the norm for the past several months.  However, in today's world such interaction with one another seems to be taboo, and personal assaults seem to be the order of the day.  But the over-riding question is why does this poisoned atmosphere exist?  Matt Cooper, Editor of the National Journal believes it may be a result of:

1.  Redistricting along more partisan divides.
2.  Special interest groups which "pound" Senators to vote a particular party line even if they may represent a more moderate district.  
3.  Influence of highly partisan media which "stovepipe" their message to the exclusion of other views.
Let me add a fourth, MONEY, either through direct campaign contributions, unlimited funding of tax exempt organizations with set political agendas or personal gifts.  So, is it any wonder that the Super Committee was destined for failure from the very beginning?



What is interesting about this poisonous divide is the fact that the fastest growing group of voters today is independents, who tend to be more moderate and centrist in their political views.  Also, I find it interesting that you now hear rumblings about the formation of a Third Party and even a newer effort known as Americans Elect whose purpose, as reported by Krissah Thompson in The Washington Post, is to hold a political convention via the Internet to place a third presidential candidate on every state ballot in 2012.  Could this approach possibly tap into that huge reservoir of centrist voters and break the current gridlock in Washington?  I have no idea, but you can learn more about their effort at http://americanselect.org.  In addition a host of really drastic measures may be necessary to mend the current sad state of affairs and restore a sense of true public service for the common good among our elected officials, including:
1.  Forbid lobbying on Capitol Hill altogether.  Elected representatives with the help of their paid staffs should be able to figure out for themselves what legislation is best for America. *
2.  Outlaw paid staff members from ever becoming lobbyists. *
3.  Outlaw gifts of any kind to elected officials.  Simply put, the ethics law can be written in two words:  "ACCEPT NOTHING"!
4.  Encourage legislators to quit signing silly pledges.
5.  Establish term limits for all members of Congress. 
6.  Shorten campaign periods.
7.  Fund campaigns with tax dollars.
8.  Eliminate the Electoral College. 
9.  Somehow temper the partisan media. 
10. Enforce the laws against tax exempt organizations funding political activities, or write new ones.
* Even Jack Abramoff, the former king of lobbying, agrees something has to be done in these areas (re: his fascinating November 6th interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" at http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57319075/jack-abramoff-the-lobbyists-playbook/).


In short, until major reforms, whether those listed above or others, are established to create a more level playing field for all who desire to run for office the opportunity to do so, nothing will probably ever change to break the current gridlock and allow for the return of the centrists to help balance the political extremes that exist today.

Success with Honor

Two weeks ago I had the occasion to discuss with friends the relative merits of various athletic programs around the nation which provided me the perfect opportunity to praise one of my long time heroes and programs, Joe Paterno and Penn State University.  My argument was how could you not laud a man who had spent almost a half century of his life as head coach at the same university compiling a winning record unmatched in college football totally free of scandal and sanctions, all while achieving a 90% graduation rate among his players.  In fact I had planned to make that remarkable graduation rate the subject of a separate blog.  However, all of that well deserved record of achievement came crashing down with the subsequent revelations this past week about alleged child sexual abuse by a member of his coaching staff over a period of several years dating back to at least the late 1990's.  If ever there was a living example of the adage that it takes a lifetime to build a reputation, but only one mistake to destroy it, this tragedy certainly qualifies.

While there probably will be many further revelations about this situation before it is over, at least the powers that be at Penn State have taken immediate and decisive action to remove all of those individuals connected with these horrendous acts, including even those who committed sins of omission by not contacting the proper authorities at the time they supposedly occurred.  No doubt everyone involved in this particular incident will eventually pay a heavy price for the misdeeds that have revealed a darker side of major college sports which Susan Page of USA Today terms a "conspiracy of silence".   In fact "Buzz" Bisinger, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Friday Night Lights and columnist for the The Daily Beast, minces no words in his opinion of this "closing of ranks around their own", going so far as to call it the "evil" within college sports and comparing it to the Mafia's code of "omerta".  You can read his column and the various responses which followed at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/10/joe-paterno-and-penn-state-s-code-of-omerta-in-the-sex-abuse-scandal.html.  He also has proposed a total separation of sports from academics in which collegiate athletics would be licensed to schools that would pay a set fee for teams playing under their banner.  Under this arrangement players could even be paid for their services, something I have heard others suggest.  Frankly, I do not know how all of this would work, but if nothing else comes out of this mess, maybe there will be a re-evaluation of all major college sports and the potentially corrupting influence of the hundreds of millions of dollars that flow into these programs each year.

One thing that should be remembered in all of this is that Penn State University has a long history of following the motto of Success With Honor.  Adherence to that motto was never more proudly displayed than last night's student prayer vigil on campus for the victims of this past abuse, and continued through today's difficult, emotional and heartbreaking 17 to 14 loss against Nebraska.  The game began and ended with a huge outpouring of support from 100,000+ students and fans for their home team and coaching staff, even including a gathering at midfield of both teams and staffs before the game to pray together instead of apart.  Coming back from a 17 to 0 deficit, the Nittany Lions fought back and actually had a chance to either tie or win the game, but time simply ran out.  So, in the end, this sordid affair is not about one person or even a group of people, as they all can and will be replaced.  Rather, it is about a storied institution, its history, heritage, traditions and the manner in which they plan to move forward.  From what I observed today watching that game which ended about a hour ago, that healing process has already begun and Penn State will emerge much stronger as a result, further achieving that Success with Honor.    

   

Thank God for Mississippi

Growing up in Arkansas in the 40's, 50's and 60's, it was not uncommon to hear the declaration "Thank God for Mississippi", as it was always made in defense of our state for at least not being the very last in per capita wealth or education.  In that context it was not a very complimentary expression.  With the advent several years ago of casino gambling to that state in places like Tunica and Gulfport, hundreds of millions of dollars flowed into Mississippi's state coffers that brought about major infrastructure improvements, new factories, increased jobs and improvement in education, all of which pretty much made that expression fade away.


Now, all of a sudden, a new draconian legislative initiative comes along that makes one wonder what has happened to all of that progressive thinking and notable achievement.  Specifically, it is Amendment 26 - The Mississippi Personhood Amendment which, if approved, would amend Article III of their state constitution to define a person or persons to "include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof".  In short, every fertilized egg would become a person with all of the rights, privileges and protections now afforded all of the other living, breathing and functioning humans in Mississippi, including criminal  prosecution of anyone who destroys that egg whether intentional or not.  As reported on ABC News on November 4th, this definition "....goes beyond what most anti-abortion politicians and groups advocate, which is to define life at conception and limit abortion only to cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is in danger", so it is very clear what the true intent of this initiative is and where it's headed.  In fact their own website at http://personhoodmississippi.com/amendment-26/what-it-says.aspx admits that if this amendment is approved then "...abortion will be outlawed in our state; cloning and other forms of medical cannibalism will be effectively stopped; and a challenge will be set up to Roe v Wade".  In a more drastic practical application of this ill-conceived law, if a couple engages in sex and then use a morning after pill as a form of now legal birth control, they could be prosecuted for murder.  More problematic is what happens in cases of in vitro fertilization procedures when unused eggs are destroyed after a successful pregnancy is achieved.  So much for a legal lifeline that medical science has created for otherwise childless couples.           

This issue was discussed at great length during the Diane Rehm Show this past Monday, October 31st, so go to http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-10-31/consequences-granting-legal-status-fertilized-human-egg listen to the entire discussion.  And you thought the spooks and goblins of Halloween were scary?  It would almost be funny if the implications weren't so serious.  Some of the more interesting reactions to this topic have ranged from wanting to claim such eggs as dependents for tax purposes, to wanting to know if a mother dies during childbirth could the egg be charged with manslaughter, to why there is not as much concern for the living children of Mississippi now unwanted and living in foster homes, to wanting to know if a mother who miscarries can be charged with murder, to personal injury attorneys having a field day with the accidental death of that fertilized egg.  Ever heard of unintended consequences?  Well, this initiated act is chocked full of them, not the least of which is an absolute assault on the rights of women to make their own determination concerning family planning.  Furthermore, forget about innovative medical procedures being developed in Mississippi to aide women in that planning, which is one of the reasons why almost every medical group in that state is against this measure.  I had held out some anticipation that Governor Haley Barbour might bring some reason to this ballot question, but I noticed in an AP article yesterday that he has already voted for it, so I can only hope that the good people of Mississippi will come to their senses and vote this bad boy down next Tuesday.  If not, then "Thank God for Mississippi.  

Cheer Them in the Middle East, Arrest Them in America

All of the recent publicity and rhetoric about the Occupy Wall Street movement just begs a comparison with the Arab Spring protests of several months ago when most western democracies including ours were cheering the courage and bold action of thousands of citizens in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Syria and Libya.  Besides risking beatings, imprisonment and torture they were also placing their very lives in jeopardy to achieve the same democratic liberties we enjoy here in America, among them the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression which Occupy Wall Street exemplifies.  Setting aside for the moment whether you agree with the OWS message, do you not find the police reaction of forced removal and arrests in some cities (most notably Oakland, Denver and Nashville) to be similar to the police conduct in the Middle East?  It's as if we are becoming them instead of the other way around.  I thought riot gear, tear gas and over-whelming police force were part of our past, not our present.  And for Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain to label the demonstrators as "un-American," "anti-capitalism" and "anti-free market" just shows a total ignorance of history, as well as what this initiative is all about.      

So, exactly what is driving this Occupy Wall Street movement?  Well, you can start with the huge income and wealth disparity between the top one percent of our population which has grown by 275% over the past generation while the remaining ninety-nine percent has grown only 18% during that same period.  One of the reasons cited for this disparity by the Congressional Budget Office is the lack of college degrees among our young people who, in this climate of ever-changing globalization, are simply unable to compete with the more educated Chinese and Indians who will work for much less.  Compounding the problem of those diminished job opportunities for our youth, which robs them of their dreams for the future, is the mountain of student loan debt incurred by those who do seek to achieve that very college education that is being sold as the key to one's economic success. Then there is the loss of existing jobs which has caused financial devastation among millions of adult Americans who are unable to pay the mortgages on their homes, as well as just meet day-to-day living expenses for their families.  And, finally, there are the ethical lapses and criminal activities within the financial community that almost brought down the major economies of the industrialized world which have gone largely unpunished.  Conversely, our masters of the universe seem to have gone right back to the same questionable practices and exorbitant personal enrichment of the past that are further widening that income gap and creating an elite economic imbalance which Alexander Stille of the New York Times calls "....one of the most unequal democracies in the world".  Frame all of these concerns within the context of a feckless and paralyzed congress that seems either unable or unwilling to address these systemic problems in a bold and meaningful way and you've got yourself the platform for all of the dissatisfaction, frustration and anger now being expressed by Occupy Wall Street.  

One of the main criticisms being leveled at this movement is its lack of common theme or central voice.  Those of us old enough to have lived through the Vietnam War and the anti-war demonstrations that raged across America in the late 60's and early 70's will recall a somewhat similar critique in the early stages of that initiative, but it did not take very long for those disparate anti-war actions to meld into the central message of  "End that war".  We all know what happened as a result - it ended.  The same thing happened with civil rights abuses.  It's all about raising the national consciousness and public debate to the point where corrective action is forced on our policy makers.  I suspect that as the Occupy Wall Street movement spreads and gains support, both moral and financial, we will see a more effective organization that may well play a significant role in the 2012 elections not unlike that of the Tea Party in 2010.  In fact, Elizabeth Warren's senatorial race in Massachusetts may well be the bell-weather test of this possibility, as evidenced by the outpouring of support from OWS sympathizers at one of her recent rallies.  Surely, these impassioned citizens will at least be allowed to exercise their lawful right to peaceful protest and expression without fear of intimidation and arrest at these legal assemblies, if not public parks and spaces.