This post is about a video I first saw at Left of the Hill. At this post, Keith Fimian Says Taking Away the Public’s Right to Vote for US Senators has “Some Merit”. When I realized what the post was about, I laughed. Then I saw who produced it, Congressman Gerry Connolly, and I got infuriated. Our congressman produced that stupid nonsense. See http://gerryconnolly.com/videos.
There are two problems with this attack ad. First, the “quote” is incomplete. Fimian did say the idea has merit. He also said he is willing to hear both sides. Then he ends by saying that he is inclined towards the direct election of senators. Thus, the video is at best misleading.
Second, the video is just plain wrong. Obviously, Connolly has not read my post on this subject, WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CONSTITUTION? — PART 2. Men such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton defended the selection of senators by state legislatures. They saw it as one of the means necessary to constrain the Federal Government.
When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, they designed a system of checks and balances. That system included dividing power between the States and the Federal Government. History has shown that the Federal Government gathers power to itself, and its ability to do so only increased with the passage of the 17th Amendment. Apparently, Connolly thinks an all-powerful, all-consuming Federal Government is a good thing. He must like spending spending us into poverty.
