...is today (among others), and Senator Arlen Specter, left, is fighting for his political life. At age 80, the cancer survivor would be 86 at the end of his next term. John McCain, who will be 74 in August and is also a cancer survivor, is in a political death match of his own in Arizona. He'd be 80 at the end of the next term if he wins.
Specter was pretty much forced to leave the Republican Party last year in order to avoid facing a tough primary challenge from former Representative Pat Toomey. Now he's in a dead heat in the Democratic primary with another former representative, Joe Sestak. McCain, who famously refused to buckle under five years of horrific torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese, has shown he is now willing to say and do just about anything to retain his seat. It's pathetic, really, to see him make such a complete ass of himself (not that he had that far to go). And for what? So he can continue to appear on Meet the Press every other Sunday? Who cares? No one listens to him pontificate anyway; if they're like me they just fast-forward past him to the round table discussion.
What is it about the United States Senate that makes otherwise sensible people surrender all their remaining dignity to stay? These guys cling to their seats like they're life rafts in the open sea. Assuming that both these men are reasonably well-off financially (neither one could possibly need the job), why in heck are they so hell-bent on retaining these seats? What's wrong with having a distinguished career and then riding off into the sunset like anyone else their age? Do they really live in such a bubble that they think life is not worth living if they can't be a United States Senator? Aren't they aware that the rest of us think members of Congress are little more than pompous, self-important windbags?
Personally, it wouldn't bother me in the least if they both lost. Specter is ancient and Sestak and Toomey would offer Pennsylvanians a clearer choice in November. As for McCain, I've never bought his act, dating back to the days when he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar as part of the Keating Five scandal. That, and for dumping his disfigured wife for a much younger and richer girl. (And she was a girl. McCain was 43--and still married--when he met his current wife Cindy, who was 26.) So much for all that "personal honor" malarkey. And if that nut-case Hayworth beat him it would only hurt the Republican Party anyway.
United States Senators would be better off if they would just concentrate on having productive careers. Then emulate stand-up comics, who know when to leave the stage--with the audience wanting more.
Specter was pretty much forced to leave the Republican Party last year in order to avoid facing a tough primary challenge from former Representative Pat Toomey. Now he's in a dead heat in the Democratic primary with another former representative, Joe Sestak. McCain, who famously refused to buckle under five years of horrific torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese, has shown he is now willing to say and do just about anything to retain his seat. It's pathetic, really, to see him make such a complete ass of himself (not that he had that far to go). And for what? So he can continue to appear on Meet the Press every other Sunday? Who cares? No one listens to him pontificate anyway; if they're like me they just fast-forward past him to the round table discussion.
What is it about the United States Senate that makes otherwise sensible people surrender all their remaining dignity to stay? These guys cling to their seats like they're life rafts in the open sea. Assuming that both these men are reasonably well-off financially (neither one could possibly need the job), why in heck are they so hell-bent on retaining these seats? What's wrong with having a distinguished career and then riding off into the sunset like anyone else their age? Do they really live in such a bubble that they think life is not worth living if they can't be a United States Senator? Aren't they aware that the rest of us think members of Congress are little more than pompous, self-important windbags?
Personally, it wouldn't bother me in the least if they both lost. Specter is ancient and Sestak and Toomey would offer Pennsylvanians a clearer choice in November. As for McCain, I've never bought his act, dating back to the days when he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar as part of the Keating Five scandal. That, and for dumping his disfigured wife for a much younger and richer girl. (And she was a girl. McCain was 43--and still married--when he met his current wife Cindy, who was 26.) So much for all that "personal honor" malarkey. And if that nut-case Hayworth beat him it would only hurt the Republican Party anyway.
United States Senators would be better off if they would just concentrate on having productive careers. Then emulate stand-up comics, who know when to leave the stage--with the audience wanting more.
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