The new class of United States Senators, the ones taking on the Swamp in the Republican Party, want to put an end to the Third House, the special interests, the K and J Street lobbies which put their individual, perverse interests at the direct expense of the American citizenry.
As a reminder, here is the text of the 17th Amendment:
US Senators were never supposed to be elected by the people.
They were representatives of the several states.
The United States Congress already has a popular chamber: the House of Representatives.
We do not need another popular body, especially for elected officials who stay in power for six years, who remain far removed from the needs and concerns of the individual citizens. The several states are more stable institutions in and of themselves, and therefore they rely on longer-lasting representation in the upper chamber.
This issue may seem arcane or academic, but it's an essential debate we need to rekindle if we want to secure our nation's liberties and protect the rights and powers of the states and the people. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments have been long ignored and neglected in growing part because of the diminution of the power of the states. The current power structures in Washington DC have run rough-shod over the individual pre-eminence of the states, which has enabled the federal government to explode while the powers of the states and the people have receded considerably.
The US Senators have gotten away with vapid campaign promises during the election season, only to abandon those promises and continue playing along with the corrupt special interest agenda once back in power. The popular franchise does not enable the diverse citizenry to keep check on a US Senator, since he is elected every six years. The scandals of one year do not remain fresh enough in the minds of the voters to ensure that they remove him from office by the next election cycle.
The other benefit to the state legislatures' choosing the US Senators--they could recall them. No doubt, John McCain would have been recalled by now if he were elected by the state legislature in Phoenix as opposed to the disparate popular vote throughout the state.
What good has McCain done for the Grand Canyon State? Governor Doug Ducey and the state legislature want to end Obamacare. McCain voted against ending the program. If the 17th Amendment did not exist, the Arizona State Legislature could have recalled McCain straightaway.
Also, a number of US Senators would have never been elected, and instead they would have conservative counterparts who better represent their state. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania would be gone by now, for example, because the Pennsylvania State Legislature is not only more Republican, but it is far more conservative.
Even for California, I am not sure that Kamala Harris would have been elected to be the next US Senator, since her interests were so far removed from the concerns of many Southern California and Central Californian interests throughout the state. Can anyone cite for me one time when Harris showed interested in working-class black and Hispanic communities? Not once.
Loretta Sanchez had a slightly more bipartisan record of accomplishment. She had networked with local lawmakers on a larger scale, too. I believe that if the California State Legislature had chosen the US Senator to replace Barbara Boxer, they more likely would have sided with Sanchez.
And she would have been somewhat less objectionable than Harris, who is a full-on corporatized progressive leftist.
But all we need to see evidence that we need to repeal the 17th Amendment and end the direct election of US Senators rests with John McCain. He is old, incompetent, out-of-touch, full of embittered toward the current President and his administration. He pays more attention to the demands of the Military Industrial Complex, when he should be fulfilling campaign promises and following the directives of the United States Constitution.
Six year representatives need to be elected by the more closely informed interests, and that would be the state legislatures. End the 17th Amendment, and take away power from Washington DC. There is some good news on this front. I have spoken to more attentive citizens throughout the country, and they recognize the growing threat of the looming Washington DC Leviathan. Anything that can be done to cut down to size the bloated, abusive federal government is a win for all of us and a restoration of the Founders' vision and principles in the United States Constitution.
As a reminder, here is the text of the 17th Amendment:
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.[1]
US Senators were never supposed to be elected by the people.
They were representatives of the several states.
The United States Congress already has a popular chamber: the House of Representatives.
We do not need another popular body, especially for elected officials who stay in power for six years, who remain far removed from the needs and concerns of the individual citizens. The several states are more stable institutions in and of themselves, and therefore they rely on longer-lasting representation in the upper chamber.
This issue may seem arcane or academic, but it's an essential debate we need to rekindle if we want to secure our nation's liberties and protect the rights and powers of the states and the people. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments have been long ignored and neglected in growing part because of the diminution of the power of the states. The current power structures in Washington DC have run rough-shod over the individual pre-eminence of the states, which has enabled the federal government to explode while the powers of the states and the people have receded considerably.
The US Senators have gotten away with vapid campaign promises during the election season, only to abandon those promises and continue playing along with the corrupt special interest agenda once back in power. The popular franchise does not enable the diverse citizenry to keep check on a US Senator, since he is elected every six years. The scandals of one year do not remain fresh enough in the minds of the voters to ensure that they remove him from office by the next election cycle.
The other benefit to the state legislatures' choosing the US Senators--they could recall them. No doubt, John McCain would have been recalled by now if he were elected by the state legislature in Phoenix as opposed to the disparate popular vote throughout the state.
What good has McCain done for the Grand Canyon State? Governor Doug Ducey and the state legislature want to end Obamacare. McCain voted against ending the program. If the 17th Amendment did not exist, the Arizona State Legislature could have recalled McCain straightaway.
Also, a number of US Senators would have never been elected, and instead they would have conservative counterparts who better represent their state. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania would be gone by now, for example, because the Pennsylvania State Legislature is not only more Republican, but it is far more conservative.
Even for California, I am not sure that Kamala Harris would have been elected to be the next US Senator, since her interests were so far removed from the concerns of many Southern California and Central Californian interests throughout the state. Can anyone cite for me one time when Harris showed interested in working-class black and Hispanic communities? Not once.
Loretta Sanchez had a slightly more bipartisan record of accomplishment. She had networked with local lawmakers on a larger scale, too. I believe that if the California State Legislature had chosen the US Senator to replace Barbara Boxer, they more likely would have sided with Sanchez.
And she would have been somewhat less objectionable than Harris, who is a full-on corporatized progressive leftist.
But all we need to see evidence that we need to repeal the 17th Amendment and end the direct election of US Senators rests with John McCain. He is old, incompetent, out-of-touch, full of embittered toward the current President and his administration. He pays more attention to the demands of the Military Industrial Complex, when he should be fulfilling campaign promises and following the directives of the United States Constitution.
Six year representatives need to be elected by the more closely informed interests, and that would be the state legislatures. End the 17th Amendment, and take away power from Washington DC. There is some good news on this front. I have spoken to more attentive citizens throughout the country, and they recognize the growing threat of the looming Washington DC Leviathan. Anything that can be done to cut down to size the bloated, abusive federal government is a win for all of us and a restoration of the Founders' vision and principles in the United States Constitution.
Do you have any video of that? I'd like to find out
ReplyDeletemore details.