This made it abundantly clear that people really don t care, either because they believe that reform is impossible or because they believe it will never be allowed by those who have to introduce and implement it. Representative Dan Burton, an Indiana Republican with a much more partisan nature, is set to try to do for the House what Thompson couldn t do for the Senate, but unless he produces some startling revelations, which doesn t appear likely in light of Thompson s failure, his efforts will probably suffer the same fate, but will cost more since he is starting out with no time limit and an almost blank check from the leadership in the House of Representatives. Lost in this shuffle is that both Thompson and Burton, like so many members of Congress before them from both parties, are abusing the investigative powers their positions give them. The Constitution gives Congress the power to legislate, and many years ago, members of both Houses concluded that they cannot legislate in ignorance and hence must get the facts through investigation. Over time, investigation has often proved often to be more useful politically than legislating is, leading to instances like the current delvings into campaign finance abuse which are investigations for the sake of investigating rather than for the purpose of correcting abuse.
Campaigns cost money.
The cost of television is often held up to be the culprit for all this, but that is not the whole truth. Tip O Neill, the former Speaker of the House, is often quoted as having said that all politics is local. He was right, but whereas at one time it was purely local, it no longer is. A century ago, even 50 years ago, ward heelers and precinct captains did all the work. They kept constituents happy, saw to it that voters went to the polls, and made as sure as they could that those voters voted for the candidates that party leaders selected at conventions or in smoke-filled rooms.