We Need to Expect More
Joseph Story’s Commentaries on the Constitution has become one of my favorite books. It is no easy read. In fact parts of it read like Isaiah in the Bible. But like Isaiah, in the midst of all the mud [incomprehensible verse after verse] you find nuggets.
Here is a nugget about what I’d argue is the ‘call of the public servant or elected official.’
“It should never be forgotten, that in a republican government [quick aside here to reemphasize that we DO NOT live in a democracy but in a republic] offices are established, and are to be filled, not to gratify private interests and private attachments; not as a means of corrupt influence, or individual profit; not for cringing favourites, or court sycophants; but for purposes of the highest public good; to give dignity, strength, purity, and energy to the administration of the laws.”
I know we live in an imperfect world, but I believe that Story gives us the golden standard to which we should aspire individually in our personal lives and to which we should hold our public servants accountable.
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Given the following charge, where do our current set of federal officials and current governor stack up. I’d be interested in your thoughts.
David said,
June 11, 2008 @ 10:13 pm
I assume by Federal officials you are specifically talking about the ones we get to vote for in Utah. Using that assumption I think we could safely get rid of all of them and start fresh. The only one who has any incentive to do his job by representing Utah is Jim Matheson because he’s not a safe Republican.
Lyall said,
June 12, 2008 @ 7:45 am
David,
Your assumption is correct. I was referring to our Utah federal delegation. Sorry I should have been more specific.
I would disagree that Matheson is the only one with any incentive to do his job. He has easily won reelection and currently maintains a substantial lead over Bill Dew. My experience with Matheson is that he plays the game with the best of them (meaning the Republican delegation).
David said,
June 12, 2008 @ 10:59 am
He certainly has the advantage of incumbency. I did not mean to suggest that his re-election was particularly precarious. As I think about it, it seems that Chris Cannon has had the closest scrapes with being knocked off lately (at least in primaries).
Lyall said,
June 12, 2008 @ 11:40 am
You are right about Cannon and close scrapes. He really struggles with the base and conventions and it surprises me that he doesn’t yet have a better strategy for outreach at that level. I think he’s avoided a primary only ONCE since he’s held office. I think that makes it 5 out of 6 tries he’s had to go to the ballot in June.
If I’m not mistaken, the percentages coming out of convention were the same as this time: challenger ~58%, Cannon ~42%. Only last time it was John Jacob. We’ll have to see if history repeats itself on June 24th or if Chaffetz is able to rally enought troops and money to make a change in that district.