Perry is gone...no corrals on the White House lawn

By Jeff Orvis

Bad news for Texas. You are going to get your governor back. Rick Perry announced this week that he is turning the old horse homeward and will give up the dream of installing a corral and barbecue pit on the White House lawn.

What happened to you, Texas? You produced legendary political figures like Lyndon Johnson, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and former Governor Ann Richards. Jordan was a gifted orator, sort of a female Martin Luther King. Johnson, though he presided over the ill-fated Viet Nam war, he also championed the civil rights movement and the war on poverty. My favorite memory of Richards was her address to the Democratic convention one year. In speaking about the first George Bush and his back-pedaling on a promise of “no new taxes,” she said, “Poor George. He can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth!”

But most recently, it seems all you could give us was another George Bush, who presided over eight years of a generally failed presidency. Then Perry, who at least realized that he was in way over his head with this presidential fantasy.

A recent passage in the autobiography of Walter Mondale sent chills up my spine. He described how he and President Carter were concerned with holding off contenders from their own party in their re-election bid. Meanwhile, the GOP had this guy who had some pretty “wacky” ideas, seemed misinformed on a lot of issues and tended to over-simplify crucial issues. I thought I was reading about Ron Paul. But this was another “Ron,” with a last name of Reagan. Presto! Before you could say “Iranian hostages,” we had eight years of those wacky ideas.

In a recent Saturday Night Live skit, actors portraying the Republican candidates were present for a debate. The moderator said the winner of the debate would be determined by the candidate who could utter the name “Ronald Reagan” the most times in 30 seconds. It seems like when the candidates aren't trying to boast about being more conservative than the other guy, they are invoking the name of that guy who went from being a second-rate actor, to governor of the fairy tale state on the west coast to president for eight years. You never hear a candidate claiming they want to be just like George H.W. Bush or his gem of a son, little Georgie. Why not, guys?

I fear the political pendulum is swinging far to the right. But we still have about 10 months to see how this goes. Regardless of what the so-called “experts” may want to make you believe, a lot can happen between now and November.

Maybe this is the real way to fix Congress

By Jeff Orvis

Those of us who still believe that Barack Obama has a chance to be a great president, who agree with him when he expresses frustration with the obstructionist members of Congress seem to think the only fault lies with the opposing political party. It seems many of those on the other side of the aisle feel if they hold up important legislation or approval of presidential appointments, it will be their way of eventually getting rid of him in the next election.

Haven't a lot of us had that “If I ruled the world for a day” moment, figuring we could fix all the ills of Washington if somebody would give us a chance? But it's not quite as simple as having the power to stifle the Republicans and rubber-stamp everything the Democrats propose. The whole system, in place long before any member of the legislative or executive branch were born, may be to blame for so much gridlock.

I am currently reading the autobiography of former Vice President Walter Mondale. In “The Good Fight, A life in Liberal Politics,” he tells the story of the delays, frustrations and ultimate triumphs he witnessed and had a part in as a member of Congress during the 1960s and '70s, when some of the most important legislation in this nation's history were enacted. He not only ran into opposition from the other party, but since a lot of the landmark legislation dealt with civil rights, southern Democrats were also a major roadblock.

He details the efforts some senators used to block some of this legislation. Some of them were well-versed in the rules of Senate procedure and used every clause they could find to stall these bills.

Various presidential candidates over the years have pledged to reform the federal government. But some of the things explained in Mondale's book are truly frightening and show just how difficult real reform will be. Gov. Rick Perry suggested that Congress should have its pay cut substantially and go to a part-time basis. He apparently failed to realize that there's a little difference between the Texas Legislature and the legislative body charged with governing more than 300 million people and maintaining this country's status as the last remaining super power.

I suspect that most of the members of Congress have great respect for the history of this country. They realize that the decisions they make will be documented for many generations to come to study and dissect. But I wonder if all this respect muddies the waters of careful and prompt deliberations. Before a bill becomes law, it often has to go through a lengthy process including research, informal meetings among senators or congressmen, initial drafts, rewrites and several congressional subcommittee and committee hearings. Then just when you think you have a bill ready for final approval, somebody doesn't like the idea of including the approval of a pipeline in a bill meant to extend benefits to the unemployed and you have to start all over.

Spend a couple of hours watching C-Span when Congress is in session and you begin to wonder how those folks ever get anything done. When a senator rises to address a point of one of his colleague, it's “The gentleman from Minnesota” not “Sen. Jones.” I'm sure that language is based on tradition. But it's outdated and takes unnecessary time.

Sometimes, usually late at night, you might see some member of Congress speaking to a chamber of empty chairs. In this era of trying to watch every penny, why do we still condone this practice? How much money is wasted in overtime for the clerks and other personnel that have to stay at work so some senator or congressman can read something into the official record? The rules should be changed so that nothing can be read on the floor of the Senate of House unless there is a majority of members present.

The time is long past when our laws and legislation should be simplified so that you don't need to be a lawyer to understand what's going on. Every bill should be limited to a specific matter and not a catch-all for pet projects that have nothing to do with the initial reason for the bill.

There was great concern when one of the initial drafts of the health reform law was well over 1,000 pages. No bill should be more than 50 pages. And somebody should make sure that the language is clear and easy for the majority of the electorate to understand.

These are just a few of many aspects of congressional life that need to be changed. I'm sure that many first-term congressmen or senators wonder if they got in over their heads when they were first elected. That goes for members of both parties.

To be sure, agreeing to represent a segment of the population is an honor and a very heavy responsibility. It should not fall only to those who can afford to mount an expensive campaign or can navigate through the shark-infested waters of outdated tradition.

Then if we get all that fixed, we can go back to blaming the Republicans, or the southern Democrats or the representatives of rural or urban areas, or Libertarians, or the free-spending Democrats, etc., etc.

Don't dis my home state!

By Jeff Orvis

Last summer, I had the opportunity to take a trip to the southeastern part of this country. It marked my first visit to several states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, a little bit of Georgia and Florida. Probably because of my coverage of city government in three Iowa communities over the years and my desire to someday get away from Iowa's normally harsh winters, I started trying to picture myself living in some of the cities and towns we passed through.

This came to mind in the last few weeks as our state was visited by hundreds of folks who want to be president, work for a president or report on a future president. While they were here, members of the national press were, for the most part, gracious in their assessments of how the candidates were treated in our small and large municipalities. Unfortunately, within hours after they got on their planes and headed back to New York or Atlanta, the wise cracks about those folks who lived out in the sticks began.

It seems like many folks who live in cities of 500,000 or more develop this thick skin and put up their defenses. Soon, it's second nature for them to jump in their car and drive five miles on four-lane streets for the privilege of buying a quart of milk. They pay big money for a house or condo of under 2,000 feet in search of safe, quiet neighborhoods. Unfortunately, this lifestyle means their circle of friends and acquaintances may be a small group of co-workers, a few people they may know from their church or club. When you commute by vehicle from your suburban home into the city for your job, it's very seldom you will encounter the same person more than once in a week or month.

So maybe it's understandable why these folks might feel like they are preparing for a trip to a foreign land when they follow a candidate to places like Newton, Pella or Vinton. Existing on their hefty TV network expense accounts, they are frustrated when they come into a town and can't find somebody to shine their shoes, somewhere to buy a $5 cup of coffee or find a dinner of prime rib or lobster, except maybe on Friday or Saturday night. If they drive down an Iowa small town Main Street and somebody smiles and waves at them, they probably feel threatened. They may not understand why the whole town might mourn at the passing of a longtime resident or why all businesses close down when the local high school basketball team plays in the state tournament.

I understand that national media members operate on fierce competition, constant pressure and a “what have you done for me in the last 10 minutes” from their bosses back at the home office. But that's still no reason to put down the lifestyle of a section of this country after just a couple of days and a frenzied trip back to urban insanity.

On our trip this summer, we saw some towns I could picture living in, a few I wish I had more time to visit and one or two I have no desire to see again. Nashville at noontime on a weekday was crazy. Birmingham at rush hour was nearly impossible. Montgomery was depressing, a major victim of the recession. Much of our travels through the state of Alabama were on four-lane, divided state highways. Several times, we were slowed on the outskirts of smaller cities by four-way stops. You got a glimpse of some of these towns, but some of them made you long for a closer look.

Jacksonville, FL is one of those cities that was fun to visit, I wouldn't mind visiting again, but I sure don't know why anybody would want to live there. The area boasts a population of nearly 1 million and it is spread out over one of the widest areas of any city in the country. My sister and brother-in-law were certainly gracious hosts. Along with my niece and nephew, we got to see many of the highlights of the Jacksonville area, as well as a nice day in St. Augustine and another great trip to Daytona Beach.

But none of these places felt like home, like a place I would want to live in. My sister and her husband have lived in the Dallas area, Shreveport, LA and now Jacksonville. I only half-jokingly asked her how many years of her life did she think she has spent behind the wheel of a car. It seems like if you don't have a cell phone and a reliable car, forget it.

Fortunately, because of their upbringing and just because of the people they are, my sister and her husband aren't the snobbish-type of people who popped into our state in the last few weeks before jetting off to New Hampshire. But after living in places where a trip to the mall might be a monthly experience, I realize that we travel in two different worlds. They have to figure on at least an hour commute to their jobs. I could walk to work in about 10 minutes. They live for the opportunity to pull up at the drive-thru and fork over a five-spot for a cup of coffee drink with some sort of fancy flavoring and froth on top. For that same $5, I could stop by a diner on Main Street and order a sandwich and fries to go with a cup of regular coffee.

When I left the Quad-Cities nearly 35 years ago, I was a shy, introverted person who had a bit of that suburban hard shell. But it wasn't long before that shell fell away and I was smiling and waving at folks I passed on the street of Independence. You had to, otherwise people would talk about you! The funny thing is, since moving back to Davenport, I've tried to retain the friendly attitude I cultivated in Independence and then Belle Plaine. I try to make brief conversation with the check-out folks at the local stores. And what may confuse some of those folks from the big cities out east, if you speak in a civil tone to someone who is making change for you at the grocery store, even in Davenport, they will often talk back in an genuine friendly tone.

Scientists are constantly seeking the secrets to long life. Reporters report on their research. I don't know how long I will live, but despite a lifestyle that's long on fatty food and short on meaningful exercise, I'm nearing the big 6-0 in relatively good health. Just maybe the secret is the fact that more than half my life I've lived in small town Iowa.

So, I say to the big-city snobs who have put down Iowans, come back sometime with a little more time and an open mind. Try us, you might like us!