More Congressional “Chutzpah”
                        Robert A. Levine  12-26-11
Congress has done it again, giving their members special consideration other Americans can only dream of. For some time now, Congressional insiders have been able to enrich themselves on the basis of knowledge not available to the public. (Washington officeholders have access to a treasure trove of economic data not available to ordinary citizens.)
 After prime time exposure of Congressional insider trading depicted on CBS’s 60 Minutes recently, there was a sudden moment of understanding by many members of Congress and Senators that public anger demanded a change in standard Washington behavior. It was assumed that legislation would be passed to prohibit Congressional members and staffers from using privileged information to engage in stock trading as is the law of the land for the general population.
 Actually, a bill to ban insider trading by office holders in Washington was introduced seven years ago called Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act by Representatives Louise Slaughter and Brian Baird, both Democrats. However, since it was introduced, this measure has languished in Congress irrespective of whether Republicans or Democrats had majorities, with members of neither party apparently wanting to terminate a potentially lucrative practice. Then, Congressmen and Congresswomen suddenly “got religion” when their insider trading was prominently disclosed, with the story kept alive by the media amid a public outcry.
Unfortunately, Congressional shame and remorse has evidently been short-lived. The House Financial Services Committee Chairman, Alabama Republican Spencer Bachus, on December 7 postponed a vote on legislation that would have proscribed insider trading. After meeting with other House Republicans, he claimed that “a significant number of members of the committee on both sides of the aisle have indicated a desire for additional time to study the issue.” This ignored the fact that the bill to end insider trading had over a hundred co-sponsors and overwhelming public support. Why should we not be surprised by this action? Over the years, it has been shown that Congressional insiders who trade in stocks outperform the market by about 12% annually, a better result than most hedge fund managers. Obviously, the access to privileged information that members of Congress and their staffers are able to acquire has been very profitable for some of them and it is easy to comprehend their reluctance to give it up. And Chairman Bachus was identified as someone who traded in stock options, having done so after having received a Treasury report in 2008 focusing on problems with the economy.
Is it any wonder that Congressional approval ratings are currently in single digits and that the public views politicians with such disdain? Their personal goals and ethics are not aligned with those of other citizens, and they can enact legislation (such as banning insider trading by ordinary Americans) that does not necessarily apply to them.
Chutzpah is a bipartisan characteristic. It is a Yiddish term that denotes acts or conduct of unusual effrontery, arrogance, brazenness, or hypocrisy in disregard of normal standards of behavior and other people’s sensitivities. Members of Congress certainly are imbued with an inordinate amount of chutzpah. On the other hand, the American electorate lets them get away with it.
 Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com

Motivating and Mobilizing the Moderate Middle
                                    Robert A. Levine   12-20-11   
        
            “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right.”
            Tom Paine, Common Sense  
       
The government of the United States is being held hostage by extreme elements in America’s two political parties, whose members refuse to compromise on matters of critical importance to the nation.(The grudging year-end passage of some legislation is inconsequential.) Though the Republicans may be more responsible for the inability of Congress to get things done, both parties have contributed to the toxic environment in Washington. This has made it impossible to appropriately address the economic downturn, high unemployment, the budget deficits and national debt, among other issues. And the demonization of adversaries and lack of civility between members of the opposing parties obstructs any dialogue, with an unwillingness to understand the viewpoints on the other side of the aisle. Of course, the longer this stalemate goes on, the more damage will be wrought on the economy, America’s standing in the world and citizens’ psychological state.

 Can the status quo be changed to allow government to start functioning again? The answer is yes, if the moderate middle can be mobilized, since partisans in the Republican and Democratic parties appear incapable of working together in the nation’s interest. Mobilizing the moderate middle sounds like an advertisement from a fitness center, suggesting an exercise program to help reduce an unwanted bulge around people’s mid-sections. However, the moderate middle is also a large bulge in the nation’s electorate, mostly inert, men and women who tend to be a bit lazy and apathetic from a political standpoint. Well, America needs them to get off their butts and be involved in the political process to help get the country back on track.

 Various polls in the last two decades have estimated that self-described moderates comprise 35% to 43% of the populace. (However, many of those who call themselves conservatives are actually moderate on many issues and label themselves conservative because it is currently in favor.) There is little question that moderate Republicans, centrist Democrats and independents (the moderate middle) have the power to decide national, statewide and many local elections if they play an active role. But how can they be motivated to become involved.

At present, disgust with the nation’s political parties is almost palpable. Most of the moderate middle certainly realizes that America is in trouble and that neither the Republicans nor Democrats are providing solutions. If moderates believe that their participation in the political process can be meaningful and that they can make a difference in turning the country around, they will be more willing become engaged.

A cause the moderate middle could rally around is a centrist third party dedicated to ethical conduct, transparency and pragmatism. Not tied to rigid ideology nor connected to special interests, this party would take a practical approach to the nation’s problems. Funding for the party could be obtained from small donors over the Internet, rather than from special interests, and it could be organized through the Internet as well. Soccer moms, college students, retired seniors, minorities and the general population could all find common ground in bringing this new entity to fruition. And the enthusiasm of the party’s supporters would have a multiplier effect as they convinced new people to join, all knowing they were participating in the transformation of America’s political system. No Labels and Americans Elect are a start in the right direction, recognizing the frustration of the moderate middle in being able to alter the political dynamic. But these two organizations do not go far enough to bring about change.

There is nothing in the Constitution or Federalist Papers that mandates two parties for America. The current duopoly of power has failed the nation and it is time for a centrist third party to restore effective government. The power to change things lies in the hands of a motivated moderate middle that participates in the political process.

Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com