A Short Lesson On Congress, Or Why The Senate Is So Screwed Up

Everyone knows what the House of Representatives is supposed to be - the voice of We the People. We select, through direct election, those people we think will most closely represent our social-economic-political beliefs to speak for us in our form of government. Hence the reason they've always been elected through direct election. The House was the only body in our federal government to have such elections, and here's the most important part - the only one MEANT to be directly elected.

The Senate, on the other hand, was meant to be the voice of their individual states, and only indirectly be a voice for the people.

The Founders, given their natural (and completely understandable) fear of a strong central government, wanted senators chosen by the state legislatures of the individual states. Their intent was to ensure that the federal government's power resided in the states. Hence the reason every state - from smallest to largest, least populated to most populated - have just two senators.

Until Woodrow Wilson, that is. That brilliant progressive, in his infinite wisdom, decided we'd be better served with directly electing our senators. Why? It's simple really - progressives, above all things, crave power. Not necessarily for themselves, but for the strong, overbearing, and centralized federal government that couldn't be had with senators that are beholden only to the states they represent. Progressives, liberals - call them what you will - all leftists believe that they know better what's best for you than you do - and what better way to enforce their vision of "best" than a government capable of intruding into every aspect of your life.

We are now forced to endure the likes of Harry Reid-iculous, John McCan't, Lindsey Graham, et al, because becoming a senator is more of a popularity contest than doing what's right for the state you serve.

Had the brilliance of the Founders been left as they intended, those senators (and many others throughout the years) wouldn't have lasted as long as they have, because the ones they damaged most - their state - would have removed them from office, and the rest of us wouldn't have gotten stuck with them. ~ Hunter