by Marcus Emery

Created on: April 09, 2009

Definition of terms question? Who is a member of an "outside group"? For the purposes of this article I will define it as any person or group that is an American citizen; but not a member of Congress. "Standing" determines who may proceed against the politicians in most cases. "Standing" means you may be adversely affected by an action or decree; so you do have a bone to pick, and can have your "day in court". (This is a layman's understanding, and may be incorrect.)

The health of the "body politick" is our concern. I guess the use of "outsiders" implies that there are insiders. When the body doesn't function well, we need to know why. It is, by Constitutional mandate, our servant. We see it is sickly. It denies. It obfuscates. It barricades itself from the close approach of its master, the public. It issues misleading information. It becomes gluttonous.

When a body is sick, who are the insiders? Liver, heart, brain, and finally, every organ and fibre. High livers, false hearts, and feeble brains abound. Light fingers, lying tongues, covetous eyes, weak knees, bold faces; all of these and the list could go on. Is there a doctor in the House? Forget his/her prescriptions. We had a surgeon in the Senate. I think he retired. Self-help and self-policing is not going to handle the Congressional case. Diagnosis and treatment must come from the outside.

There are a couple handfuls of sand that the negative side will fling at our eyes. Firstly, that the public is ignorant of "How it really is on the inside." Why, we wonder? Who dug the moat, built the barricades, between Servant and Master? The Servant, to keep his master in ignorance.

Some "outside groups" may have an axe to grind. They are not "disinterested" enough to wield a clean scalpel. ( Which would not remain clean, anyway, when once cutting into the heart of the matters at hand.) Insiders fear such groups may have been researching the ailments.

Let me make clear that I blame the Master(s) for inattention to the wellbeing of the Public Servant(s). I play the polemicist to vivify discussion in colors ranging beyond the pastels of "business as usual" painted in media. We need to heed the siren, pull over and let whoever is driving the ambulance proceed to the Emergency Room and let the Outsiders scrub up. Insiders, shape up and survive, or ship out and join the Outsiders! Fresh air and clean living can't hurt, and may help.

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