Dear Senator Bayh,
You say that the Congress is full of good people, but that the ‘system is dysfunctional.
Might I suggest the opposite is true? The system is good and some of the people are dysfunctional.
If your wife works for the health insurance lobby and you stand with her rather than with people in need — then who or what is not functioning?
If you begin — right after Obama’s election — to throw the Democrats under the bus every chance you get by joining Republicans in speaking trash about programs that are desperately needed by the American people, then who is not functioning?
Were you hoping he would pick you for Vice-President? Disappointed? Just asking.
If you raise $13 million for a Senate re-election campaign and then wait until the last second to announce you will not run again, thereby preventing anyone else in your party from preparing for such a campaign, who is not functioning?
The Republicans in Congress appear to be the ones who are not functioning, and you’ve helped them not function. One minute they say what the party tells them to say. Another minute they say what lobbyists tell them to say. One minute they sponsor a bill. The next minute they are against the same bill. One minute they vote against spending and rail against it. The next minute they rejoice in the money it provides. The next minute they rail against it again. One minute they want to help people in their district in hard times. The next minute they vote against health care for all Americans.
The system may need some tweaking, but it’s been around a lot longer than you. But it’s the current Republican leaders in Congress who have been dysfunctional — INTENTIONALLY! It is their strategy not to function. And, like you, they are paid by big business to be dysfunctional. And you’ve given them a helping hand.
Sam
P.S. I really liked your father.