End the deep-pocket politics

The defeat of recent health-care legislation is the latest episode in a political revolution that began in 2008 with Democrats in control of both branches of Congress and the presidency. Over several election cycles, voters rejected this party and a system of deep-pocket politics that damaged many. Candidate and future Congressman David Bratt’s revolutionary 2014 promise to represent voters, rather than donors seeking open borders and “a never-ending supply of cheap labor,” plays well today. The process of rejecting deep-pocket politics will continue.

Press reports of an offer of millions of dollars of campaign donations to congressmen who voted against the health-care bill show deep-pocket politics still in play. If the existing health-care law continues to fail, legislators from both parties not closely tied to deep pockets may feel the obligation to cooperate to find a solution. If not, the next few election cycles will sort out the problem.

Cable news to the contrary, governing is problem-solving, not a zero-sum game. Recent elections show voters want safe streets, good schools, jobs, strong communities, and a hopeful future for their kids, not a proxy forever war.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 12:21 PM with the headline "End the deep-pocket politics."