David Frum Explains Washington Gridlock (VIDEO)

In an "Op-Vid," The Daily Beast's David Frum opines on why Washington gridlock has gotten so bad.

The former Bush speechwriter compares the ethically-challenged but functional Congress of the 1950s to the more professionalized but gridlock-laden Congress of today.

He says that power being distributed from leaders to members in Congress, the growth of elites in Congress and incumbents being more fearful of losing re-election have contributed to gridlock.

Frum also blogs for The Huffington Post.

Watch the video above via The Daily Beast.

Comments

[vicla1942]

04:53 AM on 05/22/2012

Subj: THOMAS JEFFERSON IN A LETTER TO MADISON/constitutional conventions

"No society can make a perpetual constitution or even a perpetual law.
The earth belongs always to the living generation...Every constitution
then and every law , naturally expires at the end of nineteen years.If it be enforced
longer , it is an act of force not of right"

September 6, 1789-Letter from Jefferson to Madison- time to change congress and the
supreme ct. rulrs - they earned the change.

[vicla1942]

04:51 AM on 05/22/2012

We need a direct referendum on the national ballot to reform congress and
check supreme ct power.If 51% vote for the ballot proposal it becomes law.
It would take a constitutional amendment to change the constitution.It could
require a Presidential signature and be limited to government reform.
1- require a balanced budget amendment
2- term limits
3- no filibusters
4-no lobbyist money
5- limit campaign financing to $200 per voter.
6-repeal the United decision.

[daring eagles]

12:15 AM on 05/22/2012

Gridlock occurred because the politicians on both sides of the aisle are more interested in
getting re-elected than serving the needs of their constituents. They are beholden to the big,
special interests and thus, spend most of their time campaigning for re-election and
taking monies from lobbyists, corporations,etc. Most of these people should be thrown out of
The Congress. We need a new party - something like the Moose Party of Teddy Roosevelt.

[Danlar]

11:25 PM on 05/21/2012

good to see you following in the footsteps of Robert Reich with this kind of videos with graphics

[Danlar]

11:23 PM on 05/21/2012

you ask "what am I going to do about it (gridlock)?"
Well Cantor and the tea party must go ....because they control only a branch of a branch of the federal gov. and don't believe in compromise...only monarchies and tyrants do not compromise
A vote them out
B get rid of filibuster...and let majority rule
C ..get rid of the electoral college...no logical reason to keep it, everytime democracy has FAILED as it did in 2000 or the Tilden Hayes election something very very bad has happend!
d. you are sounding a bit more like Scott McClellan (former Bush Press Secretary who called out his former boss for misleading on Iraq) .David Frum also served in Bush Admin. .. well good for you....keep up the sanity...vote Obama and the Dems 12
thanks

[IranianDude]

11:18 PM on 05/21/2012

Oh a neo-con Israel firster warmonger "weighing in?" Frum is an idiot with zero percent substance.

[MarcDel]

10:22 PM on 05/21/2012

Well presented. Thanks David. I do think there have been other perhaps as important factors contributing. I think "Winner Take all Politics" does a great job of describing what has happened since the late 70's when the corresponding disparity of income began to grow.

[marufovega]

08:50 PM on 05/21/2012

as always, good to hear from you, mr. frum.

[bookreader451]

07:11 PM on 05/21/2012

Our Congress should be paid per diem when in session, with no benefits. They work for us and they should be treated just like the rest of us.

They can make voluntary contributions to a 401(k) with crummy returns just like the rest of us. They should have they option to pay for a high deductible medical plan since we pay for it.

If they want to be on the public dole they have to start serving the public.

[vicla1942]

04:54 AM on 05/22/2012

They are corrupt partisans that take lobbyist money and hugh campaign gifts.It is legalized theft of the public.

[Koiquoe]

06:55 PM on 05/21/2012

If the avowed, number one goal of the Republican Party is to bring down this President of the United States; and they have pursued this goal by breaking the all-time record for filibuster in the Senate by order of magnitude; and they have caused the downgrade of the credit rating of the United States for an event (raising the debt limit) that occurred 20 times under Bush without a single objection from them; and they have stood on the sidelines during the worst financial period since the Great Depression and have obstructed every effort to put millions of Americans back to work; and these are just the tip of the iceberg. Does anyone really have any question about who the source of the problem is in Washington?

[Bannca67]

08:11 PM on 05/21/2012

Absolutely not..

[Koiquoe]

06:44 PM on 05/21/2012

David you are an intelligent guy. But you are looking at the problem from too high a level. You need to drill down a little deeper and pinpoint the real culprits. I know it will be dangerous for you because your party is one that is unforgiving to anyone who dares to state the fact. Witness Gingrich and his comment on right-wing social engineering. So we understand your apprehension. But these people have pinpointed the real culprits for us in their very informative article, "Let's just say it: Republicans are the Problem:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lets-just-say-it-the-republicans-are-the-problem/2012/04/27/gIQAxCVUlT_story.html?hpid=z2

[fearthebetenoire]

06:35 PM on 05/21/2012

This video is interesting and Mr. Frum makes some sound points. If gridlock does not ease, we will experience not only serious threats to national well-being, but challenges to our party system in the form of increased extremism, as well.

I appreciate that Mr. Frum is engaging in thoughtful and civil discourse and that he is focusing upon this critical issue.