From the Village Square

Please, no more sausage-making.

Posted by Joe Mangiamele on Jan. 5, 2010

The ways of congress.

Thinking modestly on this cold Wisconsin morning in Shorewood:

how do we guide the evolution of Shorewood and the evolution of our country? Perhaps my thoughts are more on the evolution of our country for this morning.

The national media has done its job over the past year, to the extent that it has overexposed us to the smell of sausage making.

No matter how great individuals of congress think they are they have all the frailties of the rest of us and then some. Yet they will legislate on the ways that women and others will conduct their lives.

In their public positions they find it difficult to hide their selfishness, changing as easily from one party to another as though parties have no meaning and perhaps they do not today, changing as easily as they do from one sex partner to another.

Their partners and how many and at what price would be none of our business, except that men who preach the ways of God to us are made of tin coming loose at their weldings.

We have seen the contest between two parties played as a football game. Government is no football game.

This is the business as usual that we haven't had the opportunity to see so closely until now.

We have seen that the game that lobbyists play, more associated with the filthy stuff than with what is good for our country.

Is our system of lawmaking responsible only to money interests? Has it gone far from the ideals of our forefathers?

Do the money changers need to be driven out our temple of governance? These are questions with obvious answers.

Now this year's elections are going to get in the way of renewing our economy and in finding a new base for sustaining the lives of our citizens. Couldn't we change that please? Could we prove our worthiness as candidates first?

Who among these wise people of congress is going to come up with ideas for what we shall export to the rest of the world in order to pay off our debt and to provide jobs for our people?

Let's see if they can do these things this year while they work with lobbyists in the hope that they can get themselves re-elected, elected to do what?

Are they going to show us new ways they've found to prostitute themselves to the lobbyists and to their campaign contributors?

Those in Congress, already with money are not there merely for status.

Perhaps they can act more independently and in ways that focus on what this country stands for and act in its interests.

Please, no more sausage.

These are some of my thoughts, perhaps more than I should have made public for this cold morning.