If Americans get around to a major revision of the U.S. Constitution, there is one most important thing that should be included but won’t if members of the Congress and legislators of the various states  make up a sizeable portion of those doing the revising.

There should be a federal crime spelled out that would make lobbying as illegal as counterfeiting and treason, the only two felonies defined in the original body of the Constitution. Our legislatures are “of the lobbyists, for the lobbyists and by the lobbyists.” Lobbyists are so powerful because our legislators shirk from doing the work for which they are elected. And the aides they hire and whose salaries also come from the taxpayers, either don’t know how to do their job or refuse to do it.

A legislator’s aide is suppose to be assigned to study an issue and report the findings to his or her boss. In short, they are the researchers. But their research is to have a three martini lunch with a lobbyist for a special interest involved in the issue to be researched and then report to the lawmaker what the lobbyist’s “research” learned.

Of course, we wouldn’t need a law outlawing lobbyists if we had more legislators with the work ethic of H.R. Gross. Prior to being elected to 13 consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives H.R. Gross was a radio news commentator for station WHO in Des Moines in the 1930s. At the same period of time that station had a sports reporter and commentator nicknamed “Dutch” and who went into the movies before he entered politics.

H.R. Gross was an ultra conservative, an “aginner.” But unlike some of today’s conservatives he was an honest one, living and serving in office in line with his ultra conservative actions which at times upset the best of the rest of the Congressional right wingers. He often stayed in his seat in the chamber and listened to the speakers when virtually all the other members had left for their cocktail parties and other social activities.

In addition he spent his nights at home with Hazel, his wife of 50 some years, reading the bills. It was said that H.R. Gross read every bill word for word that came up for discussion on the floor. I’ll bet there isn’t a single member of the House today that can make that claim, regardless of the fact that’s why we send them to Washington at those big salaries and benefits.

Incidentally, Hazel Gross served as the manager of his Congressional office...at no pay. One magazine nicknamed him “The Useful Pest.”

His 13 victorious campaigns - he retired instead of running for another term in 1974 - were truly remarkable since the district he represented included the city of Waterloo which had one of the most diverse and heavily union population.

Also, he never took a taxpayer paid jaunt. The only time he ever left the borders of the U.S. was as a soldier in 1913 when the Army was chasing Pancho Villa back into Mexico. But when he retired the other members of Congress chipped in and paid for a holiday trip for him and his wife anywhere they wanted to go. He quipped, “Wherever we go I will expect to see some of you there at government expense.”

President Eisenhower left the White House requested to be relieved of his ex-president status and be given back his military rank of General. H.R. Gross said the only way he would agree would be if Ike accepted his Presidential pension instead of his higher salary as a General “for doing nothing.”

H.R. Gross voted present on the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. He later confessed that he regretted that vote and should have voted nay. He felt the Vietnam War cost too much.

One did not have to agree with H.R. Gross on every issue but that’s a true test of a good American. We do not have to agree with an elected official’s opinion on an issue but we should respect that official for having that opinion as long as it’s his own and not created by some lobbyist giving away  campaign funds and three martini lunches.

Trivia Time

What President was said to have been lobbied in a hotel lobby because his wife wouldn’t let him smoke in the White House? Answer to last question. When she changed her name to Marilyn Monroe she also changed from brunette to blond.

Contact George Frasher at 337-238-3433,
E-mail frasher@cebridge.net.