Quote Originally Posted by John T. Fishel View Post
receiving end of a Congressional inquiry conducted at the staffer level. The real issue was that things were not happeningfast enough for the soldier in question who was concerned that nothing at all was happening. A phone conversation between me and the staffer clarified things - the staffer understood that I was on the soldier's side but it was going to take a little time to resolve.

My experience with Congress and staffers has been that they are patriotic people who try to be reasonable when doing constituent service.

Cheers

JohnT
There was one minor problem with the kid who was kidnapped off Hay Street in Fayetteville and whisked to Miami in a white Cadillac and whose mother was convinced this was all that was required to explain his sixteen days AWOL/ UA. Fortunately a move from her cousin the Congessman's staffer to that persons boss got that straightened out...

Don't let my Congress bashing obscure the fact that I think I've said several times that they generally mean well -- and that I understand they're necessary and think they generally do an all round marginally acceptable job.

I agree with you that they are very responsive and responsible when doing constituent service -- my concern is that when they get into their legislating and oversight roles they in too many cases do not understand all they know about what they're doing. Let me also clarify that when I mention many staffers have pet ideas they push, that too is in the lawmaking and scrutiny side of the work and is particularly applied to the Armed Services Committees, their members and staffers.

I do not question the loyalty or patriotism of anyone on Capitol Hill. Nor do I have any doubt about their concern for their State or District and its voters.

I do question their tendency to put those concerns and a quest for reelection as well as their political party ahead of the good of the Nation even though I understand the realities of the situation. I also question some laws that get passed, generally as kneejerk reaction to an event, simply so they can say "We did something" and a number of laws that seem to transcend reality. In short, I wish they put as much effort into the nuts and bolts of their lawmaking as they do into voter services.