Choosing our voice in Congress

I note that a dynamic young lady from North Platte, Macey Budke, has submitted her name as a candidate to represent us, Third District, in the U.S. House of Representatives. She has filed as an Independent. I know not her history but suspect that possibly she has observed that a registered Democrat has little, slim to none, chance of being elected from our strongly leaning conservative rural area of political thinking here in Nebraska. Like I say, I have no real knowledge of her personal politics.

Your old columnist has followed our present Representative, the Honorable Adrian Smith, from Gering, in his journey in Congress. Adrian has voted consistently with the Republican side of the aisle. Speaking with him and noting his presentations in campaigning, he relates that to have an influence in today’s political arena, one has to gain a position of leader, a Chairman of one of the important committees in the House. Only through a reliable voting record, in his case as a Republican, can one become a committee chairman. Smith is presently a sub-chairman of an important committee in the House. It is interesting that our Third District is mostly rural, as our major population centers are carved out to be Districts One and Two. Rural people tend to be more independent in their thinking and tend to be strongly conservative. In my mind, a good thing!

Obviously, as an Independent, with no track record of independent political thinking, Macey Budke will have no chance of being elected chairman of any committee. If she does get elected, to replace Smith, possibly she will profess her true allegiance and become a reliable vote for the more progressive libertarian Democrat party in the House. Such a move will not go over well with voters in Nebraska, and her chance of reelection would be slim to none due to our overall conservative outlook in this area of Nebraska. If she is of more conservative leaning, politically, why not run as a Republican, as do the vast majority of voters in the Third District? It’s her decision, and that is the way it should be.

It is my personal thinking that when a person is elected to Congress, he/she should be casting their votes in what the majority of us who elected them understand would be best for our country as a whole. My fear is that they become more under the influence of the politics surrounding them in Congress and pay more attention there than to the desires of we voters that sent them to represent our needs and beliefs. I also think that term limits are important to keep our representatives in tune with the voters back home.

Personally, I think that Senator Norris had the right idea when he managed to convert our Nebraska Legislature into a single house without political affiliation. Another great idea was term limits, so our legislators are not likely to amass great amounts of power and wealth.

Grannie Annie and I have enjoyed watching the Olympics, especially the figure skating. We, too, are proud of those representing our dear old USofA who earned medals for their effort.

The next Olympics will be the summer ones in the United States. Having it on our 250th anniversary will make it even more special. Watching it on TV will be much more satisfactory for people of our age than trying to attend in person.

That is how I saw it.