In a recent speech given to the Young Americans For Liberty Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie informed the audience how plum committee assignments are made. As every Congressman knows the party in power gets to control the committees and their agendas and no bills from the minority really ever make it.
Because getting power, holding power and keeping power as the majority is so important to getting things done each member of the majority party is expected to help raise money for their party to help keep it in power. Those who do the most, get advanced onto better committee positions and thus end up with more power themselves, not only to control the agenda but to influence others in the chamber to think their way.
Massie recounted for his audience how his early arrival to Congress to fill the unexpired term of retiring Geoff Davis allowed him the rare opportunity to serve with Ron Paul. He told the audience that during one closed door session he was able to see the amount of money Ron Paul had raised for the party. It was zero, none, nada. Massie got a huge ovation for what the audience must have felt was a bold statement by their hero Ron Paul.
This incident underscores the substantial disconnect between the new TEA party folks and reality.
Ron Paul served in Congress for decades and got only one bill passed. In otherwords, he was totally ineffective as a legislator, spent most of his time generating attention for himself and building an empire of publications, organizations and movements behind him all determined to upset the process by which things get done.
Massie's idol worship of Ron Paul suggests that his plans for the future will go down much the same path.
It is a fact, a reality, that the rules of politics are that the majority party controls. All the foot stomping, teeth gnashing and tantrum throwing in the world will not change that system because it is based soundly in principles of democracy. The squeakiest wheel doesn't run things, the majority does.
What the "new guys" needed to do when they got to Washington was look around, figure out how to gain power and then set about trying to get power first, elevating themselves to a position where they could affect things and then make the changes they want. Celebrating the dogged refusal of Ron Paul to raise money to help keep his own party in control of Congress is the celebration of protest, not conquest.
Some how or another this new crop of elected officials are proud of being ineffective at anything except getting attention for themselves. What a mess.
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