Why has the Senate Become So Polarized?
from the NYT………….
Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah…. said that the both parties were to blame but that external factors including ethics rules also discouraged senators from fraternizing.
“Both parties have become very polarized,” Mr. Hatch said. “A lot of that is because of the stupid ethics rules. We can’t get together at various events. A lot of people complain about taking foreign trips, which are really critical for us to understand foreign policy. The Internet is constantly badgering everybody. In the process, it’s gotten pretty doggone partisan, both ways. It’s bad.”
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Pretty sad. Orin Hatch’s thinks “stupid ethic rules” keep powerful men (and a few ladies) from being able take foreign trips? Senators can take foreign trips. They just can’t take gifts from folks that include ridiculous travel itineraries. If you can’t go play golf in Scotland on the dime of some Pharmacy company this somehow makes the Senate a polarized place? Please. If you want to go to Europe or South Africa with your buddies, to find out about the world, then go Orin. You are being paid a decent salary and you can afford it.
Really though I’m just crying buckets of tears for how hard your life has become Orin. Ditto for the idea of not being able to hob knob with all the lobbyists you would like to at those parties you mention. If you want to talk to your fellow Senators why don’t you talk to them while you are at work? You have to go to a party to talk?
Your not only a leader of the polarization movement, your also apparently a spoiled brat that likes to whine about what he isn’t able to do.
Being a civil and competant leader has nothing to do with being able to go on expensive junkets and attending fancy parties. I think the incivility has a lot to do with paid for by lobbyist Senators that have truly lost their way. They are not worried about making sound decisions. They are simply worried about keeping their position – the American public be damned.
Guess I’m just another one of those internet folks, badgering everybody all the time.
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smelt-water-california
September 30, 2009
in divisiveness
Here is an interesting clip of John Stewart:
Full Episodes
Politically this is nothing more than the usual game. Hannity playing to his base and Stewart filling in with his usual role. The bigger issue is how these debates are framed.
This leaves me with a lot of curiosity about the environment and politics. Fish, farming, water and who wins.
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