There was Chris Dodd back in the 1970s, a newly elected young punk U.S. representative from Connecticut, casting about for a powerful, prestigious committee on which to serve.
Maybe Defense, so he could toss a few jet engines and submarines back home to the local boys. Maybe Transportation, so he could find some bags of gold to help fund the landscaping on the Merritt Parkway.
Actually, he did “better” than that. In part, due to deference shown him because of his daddy’s service in the U.S. Senate, Chris got a seat on the Rules Committee — which sounds a bit obscure and weird, but in fact, is often the traffic cop for what gets considered, what gets dumped, and when and where all that might happen.
So, there was our Chris, basking in the glow of the Rules Committee appointment, when one of the Southern boys came up to him and, with a frown, asked: “Did any of your constituents ever ask you for a ‘rule?’”
Ah, yes, the eternal struggle of being in the House or Senate. Are you plopped down there in Washington to “represent” your district, or your state — or are you, in fact, a philosopher-king, empowered to rule the nation, if not the world?
The civics textbook approach to Congress suggests that the House members are a bit more parochial than the senators, but, truth be told, every member must struggle with the tension of wanting to be Big Man on Campus, while also having to help a little old lady from Voluntown with her Social Security problem.
Nothing makes the boys and girls more squeamish than a juicy, controversial national issue that impacts the locals — an irritating distraction that might require the politicians to pretend that they care more about the local impact than about being perceived as a national hero.
Consider the health care reform debate. For folks who have a dim notion that Connecticut, or Hartford, or somewhere like that, is the ‘Insurance Capital of the World,” there is curiosity about what Connecticut’s two U.S. senators are to make of a major overhaul of health insurance.
Some of the niche news media that specialize in Congressional minutiae have been having their fun with Dodd and Lieberman, snickering that the boys are going to have to teeter-totter between being national players and local insurance industry shills.
The publication “Roll Call” has giggled that while Dodd and Lieberman exhibit sort of opposite points of view on the health care reform mess, they’ll probably both end up voting for whatever monstrosity staggers through Congress.
Lieberman, the sort-of-Democrat who is now an “Independent,” after running as McCain’s vice presidential candidate, is, to be sure, less enthusiastic about left-wingy health care reform than is Dodd — but Lieberman attributes his misgivings to cost, not philosophy.
The publication “The Hill” slaps Lieberman around a bit, speculating that perhaps he is responding to the angst of the big insurance companies back home. Not so, says Joe.
Even local-yokel politicians often find themselves trapped between the grand and provincial. Who can forget former U.S. Rep. Barbara Kennelly’s hideous run for governor against John Rowland, in which Kennelly took the odd tack of campaigning against the amoral sins of “big insurance,” while she was trolling for votes among executives, staff, and file clerks who worked for, well, yes, big insurance?
Some of us have it easy. I campaign against stingy publishers. I represent no one but myself. And, of course, writers everywhere. And, perhaps, big insurance.
Laurence D. Cohen is a freelance writer.
