Perhaps you have taken a look at the new members of the Democratic caucus in Congress. What concerns me is not their variety of backgrounds or perspectives. It is whether they bring the humility that public service requires. Confidence is useful in a representative; self-righteousness is not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every member of Congress should understand the constitutional system he or she has sworn to serve. Before demanding that an institution be dismantled or an official removed, lawmakers ought to explain the constitutional grounds for their demands. Disagreement is not misconduct, and political hostility is not evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citizens, meanwhile, deserve election procedures they can trust. Clear rules, impartial administration, and transparent counting should be common ground\u2014not partisan demands. Confidence requires both fair procedures and the willingness to accept an honestly determined result, even when our preferred candidates lose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same standards should apply to congressional oversight. If lawmakers believe Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has committed impeachable offenses, they should identify those offenses and present the evidence. If their objections concern recruitment, retention, military readiness, or leadership, they should provide reliable comparisons and explain what needs correcting. Neither praise nor condemnation should substitute for a factual record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our armed forces deserve serious oversight, not another round of political theater. Under Secretary Hegseth, recruitment and retention rates across all service branches are at all-time highs. During the Biden Administration, 35% of all our aircraft were non-operational for a significant period of time. Which situation do you believe is an impeachable offense?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Supreme Court deserves the same constitutional seriousness. Its decisions are open to criticism, and its members are not beyond accountability. But proposals to impeach justices or withhold court funding should be judged by their legal justification and consequences\u2014not by whether they satisfy an angry constituency. Follow the Constitution, PLEASE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A republic cannot function if every institution becomes legitimate only when it produces the outcome one party desires. This raises a larger question: Are our representatives more committed to serving the country than to defeating their political enemies? That question applies to Republicans as well as Democrats. Love of country is demonstrated not merely by declarations of patriotism, but by restraint, honesty, respect for constitutional limits, and concern for fellow citizens\u2014including those who vote differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am particularly troubled when the language of retribution takes precedence over the practical responsibilities of government. Proposals for reparations likewise deserve careful scrutiny. How would responsibility be assigned? Who would qualify? Who would pay? What would constitute an equitable settlement? These are questions of justice and public policy, not details to be brushed aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And what has happened to affordability? Families facing grocery bills, housing costs, insurance premiums, and medical expenses deserve more than ideological confrontation. Every hour devoted to political spectacle is an hour unavailable for the patient work of governing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My own moral and religious convictions teach me to resist hatred, envy, covetousness, and sloth. Those convictions also require self-examination. We cannot condemn bitterness in our opponents while excusing it among ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nor should we excuse violence or the destruction of public or private property because we sympathize with a protest\u2019s stated purpose. Peaceful protest is one thing; vandalism and intimidation are another. Money spent repairing preventable destruction cannot also be spent helping the sick, feeding the hungry, or improving public services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same principle applies to treating another person\u2019s humiliation as political entertainment. Public officials must answer for their conduct, but accountability should seek truth and correction\u2014not cruelty for its own sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We do not need leaders who agree on everything. We need leaders who understand their responsibilities, honor their promises, and recognize that their opponents are fellow Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is it too much to ask our politicians to keep their eyes on that task?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Perhaps you have taken a look at the new members of the Democratic caucus in Congress. What concerns me is not their variety of backgrounds or perspectives. It is whether they bring the humility that public service requires. Confidence is useful in a representative; self-righteousness is not. Every member of Congress should understand the constitutional […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":20687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1051],"tags":[1610],"class_list":["post-20686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-john-livingston","tag-affordability"],"yoast_head":"\n