tsai3904
10-03-2012, 11:04 PM
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Some have just had enough of the bickering. Others are tired and aging. And some just don’t want to run another race in a new district.
All told, two dozen members of the House are retiring at the end of this year, fleeing the most unpopular Congress in modern history. POLITICO interviewed six of the most fascinating and high-profile characters among the departing House lawmakers and asked them for their thoughts about what’s wrong with Congress, how to fix it and why they’re leaving.
Rep. Ron Paul
Over the many years he’s been in Congress, Washington may have changed, but Texas Rep. Ron Paul has not.
Paul, 77, has long been the leading Libertarian voice in the House, regularly bucking his fellow Republicans on things like foreign intervention and drug legalization. And he’s known for his views on monetary policy, which include abolishing the Federal Reserve and returning to a gold standard.
Paul thinks there’s too much government in people’s everyday lives, and he thinks both parties are at fault. His expectations that things will get much better are “very slim.”
“I never get frustrated because I have very low expectations. I didn’t come here in 1976 thinking I’m going to solve all these problems,” he said. “So I’m pleasantly surprised I’ve gotten a few people to listen to what I’ve had to say.”
His ideas — at least some of them — are no longer considered “out there,” and Paul developed an enormous following during his bids for the presidency.
As he leaves Congress, Paul says he’ll still be promoting his ideas, he just doesn’t think the Capitol is the most effective place to do it anymore.
“I’m going to continue what I’ve been doing for a long time, but I’m just in a different mode,” he said. “I assumed I was in the education business, so I’m always trying [to] change people’s minds and attitudes and understandings about [how] things work and how things should work.”
Finally this year, Paul saw his Audit the Fed bill come to a floor vote, where it passed overwhelmingly. But don’t call it a part of his legacy. Paul says his work isn’t even close to being done.
“I don’t know what legacy means,” he said. “My purpose in being in public policy is to move it in a direction where I want there to be more wealth, more liberty and more peace. Right now, we have too much war, and we don’t have much wealth, so right now I still have a pretty big job.”
Pieces on other retiring members can be found here:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/81984.html
Some have just had enough of the bickering. Others are tired and aging. And some just don’t want to run another race in a new district.
All told, two dozen members of the House are retiring at the end of this year, fleeing the most unpopular Congress in modern history. POLITICO interviewed six of the most fascinating and high-profile characters among the departing House lawmakers and asked them for their thoughts about what’s wrong with Congress, how to fix it and why they’re leaving.
Rep. Ron Paul
Over the many years he’s been in Congress, Washington may have changed, but Texas Rep. Ron Paul has not.
Paul, 77, has long been the leading Libertarian voice in the House, regularly bucking his fellow Republicans on things like foreign intervention and drug legalization. And he’s known for his views on monetary policy, which include abolishing the Federal Reserve and returning to a gold standard.
Paul thinks there’s too much government in people’s everyday lives, and he thinks both parties are at fault. His expectations that things will get much better are “very slim.”
“I never get frustrated because I have very low expectations. I didn’t come here in 1976 thinking I’m going to solve all these problems,” he said. “So I’m pleasantly surprised I’ve gotten a few people to listen to what I’ve had to say.”
His ideas — at least some of them — are no longer considered “out there,” and Paul developed an enormous following during his bids for the presidency.
As he leaves Congress, Paul says he’ll still be promoting his ideas, he just doesn’t think the Capitol is the most effective place to do it anymore.
“I’m going to continue what I’ve been doing for a long time, but I’m just in a different mode,” he said. “I assumed I was in the education business, so I’m always trying [to] change people’s minds and attitudes and understandings about [how] things work and how things should work.”
Finally this year, Paul saw his Audit the Fed bill come to a floor vote, where it passed overwhelmingly. But don’t call it a part of his legacy. Paul says his work isn’t even close to being done.
“I don’t know what legacy means,” he said. “My purpose in being in public policy is to move it in a direction where I want there to be more wealth, more liberty and more peace. Right now, we have too much war, and we don’t have much wealth, so right now I still have a pretty big job.”
Pieces on other retiring members can be found here:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/81984.html