Suitably Flip

Leadership!

In case you were curious, this is why we don't elect Senators to the Presidency.

On the Nomination (Confirmation Michael B. Mukasey of New York, to be Attorney General):

• Biden (D-DE), Not Voting
• Clinton (D-NY), Not Voting
• Dodd (D-CT), Not Voting             
• Obama (D-IL), Not Voting             
• McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

For the record, only 7 of 100 Senators voted "Not Voting".  Is it coincidence that 5 of those 7 hemmer/hawers are the only 5 Senators running for President?

How confidence inspiring.

We pay even the lowliest Senators a couple hundred bucks per vote.  Isn't the least they can do show up and hit the button yea or nay?

(HT: Mark Noonan)

---

For those of you keeping score at home, the United States has elected only one President who had not previously served as Governor, VP, or in a senior military leadership role, since Hoover vacated office 74 years ago.  That President (JFK) did in fact serve as Senator in his highest pre-Presidential station, proving that even upper chamber Congressmen can, theoretically, make it to the White House.

But the odds (mercifully enough) are still overwhelmingly against Senatorial types (like Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Biden, Dodd, and McCain) who have designs on the Oval Office.  And these pathetic displays of non-executive, bureaucratic, poll-driven, unprincipled decision making (or decision avoidance) offer the very best evidence of why that is.

Comments

Leadership!

In case you were curious, this is why we don't elect Senators to the Presidency.

On the Nomination (Confirmation Michael B. Mukasey of New York, to be Attorney General):

• Biden (D-DE), Not Voting
• Clinton (D-NY), Not Voting
• Dodd (D-CT), Not Voting             
• Obama (D-IL), Not Voting             
• McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

For the record, only 7 of 100 Senators voted "Not Voting".  Is it coincidence that 5 of those 7 hemmer/hawers are the only 5 Senators running for President?

How confidence inspiring.

We pay even the lowliest Senators a couple hundred bucks per vote.  Isn't the least they can do show up and hit the button yea or nay?

(HT: Mark Noonan)

---

For those of you keeping score at home, the United States has elected only one President who had not previously served as Governor, VP, or in a senior military leadership role, since Hoover vacated office 74 years ago.  That President (JFK) did in fact serve as Senator in his highest pre-Presidential station, proving that even upper chamber Congressmen can, theoretically, make it to the White House.

But the odds (mercifully enough) are still overwhelmingly against Senatorial types (like Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Biden, Dodd, and McCain) who have designs on the Oval Office.  And these pathetic displays of non-executive, bureaucratic, poll-driven, unprincipled decision making (or decision avoidance) offer the very best evidence of why that is.