December 18, 2019--Profiles In Courage?

Reading the lead story in yesterday's New York Times, "Key Moderate Democrats Commit to Impeachment," I was struck by the following--

In comments to constituents, interviews and opinion pieces, and statements issued by their offices, the moderate Democrats said they were embracing impeachment fully aware that their decision could cost them their congressional careers.

Call me cynical, but these congress women and men who swept into office as a result of the 2018 midterms and thus have been serving in Congress for less than two years are already thinking about congressional careers?

Call me cynical but Joe Scarborough on "Morning Joe" Tuesday was so moved by these legislators putting their reelection chances on the line that he referred to their decisions as "profiles in courage." 

I'm not sure that John F. Kennedy would have agreed. Weren't they just doing their jobs to defend the Constitution?

And I wonder what our Founders would think.

When they structured our representative government and wrote and ratified our Constitution did they think that the men who served in Congress (there were no women until Montana's Jeannette Rankin in 1917) would think about that as a career? 

In fact, Madison and his colleagues worried about this very thing.

Members of Congress were viewed by them as having a citizen's responsibility to participate in governing. If anything, fearful that our government might turn to tyranny the framers envisioned these men serving for a year or two before returning to their lives as yeoman farmers and merchants. Not forming a permanent government of the sort we have had for at least 100 years. 

(I should note, though, that Madison himself served as Secretary of State for eight years before serving for eight more as our fourth president.)

One of the moderate Democrats who announced they would vote to impeach Trump is former C.I.A. analyst, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.

Setting my cynicism aside, what she said was impressive--

I didn’t dream of being a politician my whole life. This was not part of my normal plan. And if this district sees fit to elect someone else, then I will accept that and walk away with my head held high that I’ve made decisions based on principle, and not political calculus.

Madison would have been proud.