The last time he ran for office in Pennsylvania, questions arose about where Rick Santorum really lived – in Pennsylvania or Virginia. It’s not uncommon for members of Congress to rent or purchase second homes in or new the District of Columbia because of the fact that they are there so often during the week and year. However, most return home for long weekends and breaks in the Congressional calendar, even if their families have also joined them closer to DC. It seems there were questions about whether Santorum even did that considering the house he claimed as his residence wasn’t even furnished.
While running for President, it appears as though he isn’t even pretending to be from Pennsylvania anymore.
Didn’t that question also come up about Sen. Lugar from Indiana?
While he’s not a Presidential contender, he hasn’t owned the house that he claimed as his Indiana residence for a long time.
Why would he? He’s not running for PA office, so he can drop any facade that might hurt in the General Election.
Is Santorum pretending to be pro-Second this time?
Ironic, since he (thankfully) didn’t even get on the ballot for Virginia’s Republican primary.
At least I think he spell “Second Amendment”, which is more than I can say for Newt’s people…
http://www.exurbanleague.com/misfires/Home/tabid/59/EntryId/1555/Some-amendment-required.aspx
This is a long standing problem–many Congresscritters cease to be representatives from their home state, and become representatives from Washington to their home state.
I find myself thinking the time for a fully videoconferenced Congress has arrived. No travel costs; no need for a second home near DC; perhaps fewer extramarital affairs because of separation from spouses (although for some politicians, that’s a bug, not a feature). Of course, there’s a lot of stuff that would never be said over a video link that might get said afterhours–but again, I think of that as a feature, not a bug.
I second Clayton Cramer’s suggestion! I first heard of it from Glenn Beck, back when the Tea Party movement was much bigger, and the Democrats were railroading all sorts of evil legislation–particularly ObamaCare.
One advantage that Clayton doesn’t mention: it’s much easier to drop in to visit your local Congresscritter when he’s telecommuting from a local office, than it would be when he’s in Washington, D.C. busy passing laws. And it would be far easier to hold town meetings as well!
How many laws have lost support from Congresscritters, after they have come home to see the anger in town hall meetings and other local gatherings? Indeed, sometimes Congress pushes to have something resolved *before* they go home, so they don’t get talked out of passing something!
Oh, and while we’re at it: why don’t we do away with “Lame Duck” Congresses? Congress should recess for the term a week before the November election, and should not open again, until a sufficient quorum (9/10ths, say) of the offices being contested, have been certified. When it re-opens, it should open with the new Congress.
I’m still incensed at the few things the first Congress of Obama’s term was able to do, after they were elected out of office, but before the Congress had closed permanently!