|
2023-10-15 Government Corruption
|
|
Bob Menendez Is a Symptom
|
 [Real Clear Wire] In 1988, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Hedrick Smith authored "The Power Game: How Washington Works." It was a fascinating, if unflattering, portrait of the nation’s capital that not only has proven prescient, but remains relevant today.
Having arrived in Washington in 1962, Smith charted what he called "stunning transformations" in the previous two and a half decades. These ranged from "the new congressional assertiveness" engendered by Richard Nixon’s resignation and the revolt by young members against the seniority system, to how the utter supremacy of television had warped the system and produced "a new generation of video politicians whose medium was the tube rather than the political clubhouse."
These words were written, mind you, when Matt Gaetz was seven years old — and two years before Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born. But the most significant change Smith documented was the stunning proliferation of lobbyists, hangers-on, and congressional aides.
Many of these aides were not just career politicians, but men and women who’d never had any other career other than politics. One of the subjects highlighted in Smith’s book had worked on Capitol Hill as a staffer, only to run for Congress. He won. His quip to Smith upon reaching Congress as a back-bencher (lightly paraphrased) was that "never has one individual so willingly given up so much power."
Sen. Robert Menendez is a poster boy for this new ethos. He ran for student body president in high school and won, and never really stopped angling for office. While still in college, he served as an aide to the mayor of Union City, N.J. At 20, he was elected to the local school board. A few years later, he ran against the mayor he worked for. Menendez lost that first campaign, but won the rematch in 1986. The following year, he ran and won a seat in the state legislature, and in a sign of the avaricious nature that would later get him indicted, he kept the mayor’s office (and salary) serving in both posts at once. 
|
Posted by Besoeker 2023-10-15 00:37||
||
Front Page|| [11137 views ]
Top
|
|
Posted by Grom the Reflective 2023-10-15 03:49||
2023-10-15 03:49||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Procopius2k 2023-10-15 07:17||
2023-10-15 07:17||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Super Hose 2023-10-15 07:35||
2023-10-15 07:35||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Besoeker 2023-10-15 07:46||
2023-10-15 07:46||
Front Page
Top
|
|
09:43 Mullah Richard
09:27 Warthog
09:11 Mercutio
09:07 AlmostAnonymous5839
08:52 Matt
08:24 Matt
08:20 SteveS
07:43 Procopius2k
07:42 BrerRabbit
07:42 Procopius2k
07:39 Procopius2k
07:36 Procopius2k
07:35 Procopius2k
07:34 trailing wife
07:31 Procopius2k
07:30 NN2N1
07:22 NN2N1
07:18 trailing wife
07:14 Richard Aubrey
07:10 NN2N1
07:09 Besoeker
07:03 NN2N1
06:58 NN2N1
06:58 Besoeker
|
