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Friday, February 19, 2010
Narcissists in the Senate
Sandy Levinson
I note that 86-year-old Sen. Frank Lautenberg has just been diagnosed with stomach cancer. I wish him a rapid recovery, not least, I confess,
Comments:
Sen. Frank Lautenberg came in late in the game when the original candidate dropped out. As I recall, he said he would just be there one term, and this was said to be one reason he was outspoken. But, such are the ways of egotism.
If it came to it, Byrd would decline, given he obviously is unfit for the job, and it would shift to Pelosi. Maybe wrong, but seems he has that much "virtue" left. But, though it is a factor, age is not the only thing at stake here. Douglas lingered on in his 70s and people have strokes and such in their 60s or before. And, other ailments. Seems for some in this discussion the better question is term limits. Or, a sort of 25A for justices, like lower judges can be found unfit by the judicial commission in charge of that. [Though it would never do it, the Senate has the power to expel physically unfit members, of course. Some sort of rule of minimum activity would be a good idea.] Lack of virtue will taint anything, though the Constitution was written in a way to try to deal with some human failings. So, it's not just politics. Some of both.
Long, perhaps, but as the author of the "Lautenburg amendment", an ex post facto enactment which stripped a large part of the population of a basic civil liberty on the basis of long ago misdemeanor guilty pleas, not particularly honorable. Particularly given the way it was snuck into one of those massive omnibus bills, and voted on while the leadership were lying about it's existence.
As a cancer patient, though, I do have some sympathy for him. The poor chap should retire, and devote himself to getting well, or at least spending precious time with his family. I certainly would, if I had anything remotely resembling his retirement benefits.
There lacks here any argument as to why a public servant's age or length-of-service is a) narcissistic, or b) bad. This post seems pointless.
Clearly the suggestion is that it's narcissistic to hang on to the job even as your health declines and you age into senility; It suggests that you think you're somehow essential, that nobody else could do the job.
"But, surely, no law professor, however narcissistic, is capable of doing anywhere near the harm to the Republic as narcissistic senators."
You mean current law professors, I assume.
mls assumes:
"You mean current law professors, I assume." It seems clear that since Sandy's references to "narcissistic senators" is to current senators, mls' assumption seems correct. I assume that mls was attempting to be snarky, perhaps suggesting that Sandy might be a "narcissistic law professor," apparently unwilling to await a possible future post by Sandy on university professors. But perhaps mls is indirectly challenging Sandy's closing sentence: "But, surely, no law professor, however narcissistic, is capable of doing anywhere near the harm to the Republic as narcissistic senators."
If this post was just about narcissistic senators, I don't think talking about Sen. Gillibrand specifically would be too useful except as an indirect mention of Sen. Schumer, perhaps, who is in effect her sponsor.
I don't see Gillibrand as a great example of narcissism. I also don't think she has the clout to ask for any special treatment. Furthermore, she is showing signs of going out and appealing to the public, even having an openness policy to promote this. Likewise, her efforts on policy, including DADT and the public option, show someone who is actively trying to go some good, even if you don't accept her policies. I'm sure if the President is going to pressure people not to run against her, perhaps out of fear of messy political infighting, as a politician she -- like most -- won't say "no no!" Still, though I realize you don't like her past legal work (though others on that thread disputed some of your conclusions), she's not a great target in my eyes.
OT but can comments in JB's Yoo post be opened because I wanted to point out the lawyer that was referred for discipline and how hypocritical this all is.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/20/838930/-OPR:-Torture-Lawyers-Get-a-Pass;-I-Get-Referred-for-Criminal-Prosecution-and-Bar-Discipline
With regard to Specter, I think it is over-determined that it's time for him to go. Why the White House is so determined to pander to this backboneless narcissist (who voted for the MCA while stating that it was unconstitutional because the then-Republican Sen. Specter wanted to keep his Committee Chairmanship) is beyond me.
Specter jumped to the Dems because his constituents were about ready to run him out in the GOP primary. Any chance of encouraging future center left GOP defections will not be helped if the Dems immediately run him out in their own primary for being insufficiently left. They hope two women in Maine are watching.
As to Justin's comment, this and related posts suggested to me that those who run this blog are sadly part of the problem.
It's possible that older senators are making informed decisions that balance the negatives of their declining capacities against the positives of their experience, their staffs, their clout, and their electability.
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Other party leaders weigh those pros and cons as well, which is why older folks are often taken aside before the primaries and eased into retirement. But Robert Byrd is a better occupant of that senate seat than his Republican equivalent (and actually, for all his semi-senility he's remained a powerful, useful bridge between progressives and moderates in a way that Jay Rockefeller couldn't touch).
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