Count me as someone who cares less about the congressional check-writing
”scandal” than I do about how NBC is replacing ”Cosby” in the fall.
This is the type of issue the press loves because the targets are diffuse and institutional. It is far more difficult to evaluate a member of Congress` ability on the basis of her or his record than it is to throw out accu-sations about his or her personal life and see if they stick.
If the public is so concerned with how congressmen spend their own and their colleagues` money that many feel the need to vote them out of office, that is certainly their choice. How-ever, before pulling the lever, these voters should first ask themselves if they have been well served by the incumbent, and what they know of the challenger. If you are only voting against someone, you should be careful not to elect someone far worse than you are throwing out.
As for the Tribune, I would like to see you print the voting records on major legislation next to the figures for bounced checks. Maybe a member`s vote on an issue is more important than their personal spending habits. After all, they were elected to serve on behalf of their constituents, not as a test to see if they balance a checkbook.
