We, the people elected by the people
If I were king of the world — and if not me, who better? — I’d order that the following words be printed upon every voter-registration card. (Yes, I’d still allow elections, even if my royal responsibility would require me to ignore the more foolish whims of voters.)
Beware when the political class preens about protecting us from “special interests.” The most powerful, persistent and anti-constitutional interest is the political class.
That’s a passage from a recent column by George Will, in which he writes specifically about campaign reform. But Will’s observation applies much more widely. Elected officials, when crafting legislation, appear to live by a customized version of the ancient medical oath: First, do no harm to yourself.
In short, what’s good for the people somehow never turns out to be bad for politicians. Funny how that works out.