Senator Mike Lee, Please “LEAD” the Job We Hired You to Do - A Case for Strong Congressional Leadership - Abridged. Do you deserve better? Colonel Mike Seguin, U.S. Senate in 2022.
Congress must be drained of weak party Senators and Congressmen/Ladies who put personal interests and party interests before America’s interests. I know, strong words, but they say make your main point up front.
Today, with a strong President in office, who is likely to be re-elected, a strong Congress that’s up to the task of serving as the counterweight intended in America’s constitutional architecture of “checks and balances” is not only important, it is essential.
Our President demands his staff be populated with yes-men/ladies. By all accounts, he always has. And those who do not play ball his way are unceremoniously dispensed with. Though I try to reserve judgement on this, such behavior is a problem for “lots” of reasons. But I will try not to dwell on those now. I am trying not to make a judgement about the President here either. I’m just stating the self-evident facts that you all already know. And, I am not suggesting a leader must surround him/herself with opposition and bend to the opposite extreme of yes-men/ladies - that would be ridiculous.
We have seen the castration of our National Security apparatus (Bolton, etc.), the loss of our key generals (McMaster, Kelly, Mattis, etc. etc.), the evisceration of our diplomatic apparatus losing one Secretary of State and one Ambassador after another. All this, and much more, as some of our elected officials in Congress generally appear impotent and not up to the task of doing their job, turn a blind eye, and who do little, nor voice precautionary concern, with any real fortitude - I assert the reason being for fear of losing their jobs. This, some call, the process of draining the swamp. And, this in and of itself is not entirely unhealthy - i.e. replacing career Washington D.C. old guard and getting some new, strong, blood in there. I totally support the idea.
However, we risk having a second term president that goes too far and lobbies to populate Congress and the Executive Branch with yes-men/ladies, and not experienced, level-headed, free thinking Americans motivated to do what’s right for America first as our founders intended - ya’know, that inconvenient little “oath of office” thingy.
Today, we have two parties that compete for power, not to do what’s right for America first, but to preserve their jobs and their parties grasp on self-interested preservation first. Dismissing this as normal is unhealthy acquiescence. Remember, the U.S. Constitution makes no mention of political parties. This current congressional environment lends itself to the weakening and irrelevance of our congressional bodies – the Senate and House of Representatives.
Therefore, it is essential to finish clearing the metaphorical “swamp” of weak party minions that blindly follow the President’s and Party’s orders and fail to serve America as our founders intended. America needs “leaders” in Congress that are unafraid to stand up to a strong President, with the integrity to always put America’s interests first, and when necessary, say no! Even if it means losing their jobs and not getting reelected.
Maybe President Trump is not unhealthy for America at all. As the President toys with and antagonizes the congressional party status quo - who he has COMPLETE contempt for whenever opposed, and possibly entirely by the accident of simple minded serendipitous bullheaded leadership - the President plays Congress as his sock puppets (fun phrase - I enjoy the insult for some reason). He’s revealing the parties for what they’ve become. He’s removing the false veil of altruistic competency that hides self-interested motivations for the sake of their party’s and personal re-election fortunes, before, America’s interests. Am I too harsh?
Do not blame President Trump for his actions, blame Congress for their inaction’s.
So today it is not too early to ask ourselves, in the midst of the ongoing impeachment trial, is the forthcoming 2021 election to fill the Utah Senate seat Mike Lee currently occupies in need of a change, a reset, new blood? Today is the time to begin asking ourselves, is Senator Lee the right man for the job? I will say upfront, that I have never met Senator Lee and I give the benefit of the doubt that he is a fine family man and good person. But, I also ask, can we do better, do you deserve better?
And so, in these times where the U.S. Congress suffers from one of its lowest levels of veteran representatives, and Congress is stacked with legal clerks who have never started or built a business, created jobs, or deployed to the combat zones at the tip of America’s spear, maybe, just maybe, it’s time to say, I deserve better?
I’ll do that job - Colonel Mike Seguin - U.S. Senate 2022.
Oh, and, as always folks, if my occasional editorial is off target, or particularly offensive and you need to come down to The Mad Moose Cafe in Eden, kick my butt, and set me straight, please come and do so, just not too hard please (maybe a little discretion too… “kick butt” was kinda metaphorical) - I always welcome - encourage - your thoughts - especially when they diverge.
(The full text of this abridged editorial can be found at www.utahbullmooseparty.com)