The Patriot Post® · Old and Corrupted

For the last few years, the average age of Congressmen has grown older and older. There are 79 legislators who are at least 70. Fifty of them are facing re-election. The Wall Street Journal notes, “The vast majority of those 70 and older are rank and file members. But it is worth noting that among the party leadership, Democrats skew older than Republicans: only one Republican is in his 70s (Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 72), while only one Democratic leader is in his 50s (Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra, 56).” Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports, “Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Tex.), the oldest-serving member of Congress and one of the last World War II veterans serving on Capitol Hill, became the first incumbent House lawmaker to lose a primary challenge this year by losing Tuesday night to a tea party-backed challenger.” That would be John Ratcliffe. The Founders had a few things to say about power, its corrupting influence and their desire for a high turnover rate in Congress. So let the old blokes retire, and let’s elect some fresh faces this time, eh? More…