COLLECTIVE READING OF THE CONSTITUTION
(reading it is fine…but will this Congress comprehend what it’s reading?)

The 111th Congress is now gone. Long live the 112th Congress!

In the aftermath of last November’s political earthquake, we now have a new 112th Congress taking over. The big question in all our minds, of course, is…. will it do any better by us than the one we tossed out?

That’s a good question.

Much will depend on whether this one will have more pragmatic perspectives, rather than the fixated ideological ones of the last one, more concerned with gaming things for political advantage instead of what might be best for our country. Let’s face it, it may be a new Congress, and it may indeed have more rebellious mavericks among its members, but we, the tax-paying voters, may still have made the same mistake we’ve always done….by voting for and re-electing the same old career Democrat or Republican candidates, whose primary mission is to have as strong as possible electable positions for the 2012 election, rather than for truly Independent members focused on fixing what needs fixing. So if this Congress doesn’t live up to expectations, don’t blame it….just look in the mirror. We’re the ones who put it there.

Still, there’s a reported announcement that one of the first things this new Republican-led Congress will be doing is to hold an open collective reading of the Constitution, with all of its Amendments to date.  Don’t know who came up with that idea, but it is certainly a novel approach for starting a congressional session. Yet given the record of what we’ve gotten from Congress in recent years, I can’t help but wonder if that will really help resolve the major economic and financial problems facing our country.

Frankly, that record does not inspire much confidence such an effort will be able to overcome what can only be described as a House filled with….functional illiteracy. Reading the Constitution is fine, but will its members really be able to….comprehend….what it’s all about, its principles, its provisions, and meaning?

Well, like I’ve said before, I’m from Missouri, and mamas don’t raise no fools in Missouri, so we’ll just have to wait and see if all of that will produce a Congress that is strong, upright, and true….and that such a reading of the Constitution will teach it to know….the right things to do.

CENTURION