An honest politician is found
FEBRUARY 4, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015, 12:16 AM
SUBURBAN TRENDS
An honest politician
Dear Editor:
Is Scott Garrett one of the very few or the only honest politician in Washington, D.C.?
I realize most people do not actually follow how their elected officials vote once in office. Over the past few years I started to follow the voting of some national elected officials. I started following national politicians because the repugnant, narcissistic individuals we elect to office are selling our heritage of freedom. The country has been headed in the wrong direction for a very long time. The country may actually be in trouble.
It was a pleasant surprise to see Representative Garrett vote against John Boehner as Speaker of the House for the United States House of Representatives. I do not know Representative Garrett personally. People that know him may be puzzled by my surprise. Mr. Garrett is one of the few true conservatives in the House of Representatives. He presented an issue for me. Although he votes as a conservative, you seldom see him in the national news. He doesn’t make headlines. Initially I did not view simply voting conservative as enough to justify my vote for Mr. Garrett.
Many of us accept politicians lying as a fact of life. Close to 30 years ago, my wife’s uncle said something interesting. He referred to an individual as “political.” I did not understand. He repeated, “You know he’s political.” After a few minutes of thinking, I replied, “Oh you mean he is a liar.” At that time I had no interest in politics. It struck me as odd that anyone would accept lying because they considered someone to be a politician. Most people seem to accept, or they show no surprise, when a politician lies. “Read my lips, no new taxes.” George H. W. Bush lied. Bush tried to excuse his lie as the product of compromise. This is a rare case where a political lie added to a politician’s subsequent defeat.
I sent Scott Garrett an email to ask for a vote against John Boehner. Mr. Garrett’s office did not respond. I did not expect a vote against Mr. Boehner. Representative Garrett voted against Mr. Boehner. Voting against a sitting Speaker of the House is no small deed. Speaker of the House is one of the most powerful positions in our government. A vote against the speaker carries substantial risk. A statement in the press said Representative Garrett voted against Boehner because he heard from a large number of constituents that they wanted him to vote against Boehner. Can you imagine that, a politician that votes based on his constituents, not his wallet?
Most politicians consider people like me an antagonist if not a downright enemy. Most, or the vast majority of, politicians seem to possess a pathology that allows them to believe their dishonesty is simply a matter of compromise. Very few of them at the national level seem to be able to maintain their integrity. I did not vote for governor in the last election even though I did vote. I will not be voting for the lesser of two poor choices any longer. It is my belief that Scott Garrett is an honest man who does not compromise his integrity or principals. It may be that he does not make the nightly news because of his integrity and honesty. Even though I favor term limits for all politicians, I will vote for Scott Garrett for as long as he runs. It is nice to know that in a bastion of liberal absurdity like New Jersey there is one politician worth voting for on the ballot.
Jeffrey Weld,
West Milford
https://www.northjersey.com/news/an-honest-politician-is-found-1.1264505
IMHO, from where I sit in Ridgewood, Mr. Weld’s characterization of Garrett is well-founded and accurate. He certainly does not seek the spotlight. This is actually a source of some frustration for those of us who would like to hear him employ something, shall I describe it as an edge?, when engaged in the heat of a legislative skirmish, the ramifications of which clearly extend beyond the particular matter immediately at issue. His credibility and honesty regularly put him in the perfect position to politically flatten many a charletain with a single rhetorical flourish if he felt like doing so. However, because his dominant trait is humility, he ALWAYS refrains. When he speaks or releases a political statement, it is always measured, and never fails to strike a moderate tone. He never engages in tit-for-tat bickering, but do you know what else? He NEVER denigrates conservatives in the grass roots who, because they lack elevated political station, usually have no choice but to get involved in low-level and/or local arguments, even occasionally oratorical fistfights, in what often (these days, at least) seem like fruitless attempts to influence the overall course of public discourse. Contrast this trait of Garrett to the tone-deaf and pathetically non-committal statement made by the Mitt Romney campaign that blatantly undercut Constitution-supporting patriots of all ages, races and cultural backgrounds waiting in excruciatingly long lines in support of their local Chick-Fil-A franchises during the freedom-of-religion, freedom-of-speech, and freedom-of-conscience controversy that restaurant chain found itself in during the July-August 2012 timeframe, right in the thick of the presidential election season. This earns Garrett considerable trust and appreciation from the party base, even as they know he will never play the role of be firebrand-style conservative leader for which we are constantly on the lookout.