A MODEST PROPOSAL PART II THE PROPOSAL REPRISED

On the op-ed page of The New York Times for January 19, 2006, Norman Orenstein and Thomas E. Mann, veteran observers of the political scene, had a piece which deplored the excesses of the current Congress, not just lobbying scandals, but repeated violations of “the rules and norms that govern Congressional deliberations, debate and voting”. As the Republicans were in control of both House and Senate, they came in for the sharpest criticism, but the Democrats did not escape unscathed. “The two of us have been immersed in Washington politics for more than 36 years”, the authors wrote, “We have never seen the culture so sick or the legislative process so dysfunctional.” Can anyone doubt that the presence of even a few nonpartisans in Congress can only work for betterment?

Part I of A Modest Proposal made the case that a nonpartisan in Congress, despite isolation, can be an effective legislator and make a significant contribution to its work. It did so by presenting mini-legislative-biographies of five impressive Congressional insurgents of the 20th Century: Senators “Fighting Bob” LaFollette, George W. Norris (who served first as a Representative), Burton K. Wheeler, and Wayne L. Morse, and Representative Fiorello H. LaGuardia (sometimes collectively referred to herein as “the Part I insurgent quintet”).

A Modest Proposal urges some able, independent-minded women and men to run for Congress as avowed nonpartisans, not as independent candidates, but by entering the primary of a major party – in which, of course, they are registered – and run as frank and open nonpartisans in hopes of defeating the choice of the regular party organization and taking over the party’s line on the ballot in the general election.

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To download a complete copy of A Modest Proposal, click here.

Introductory Message from a Non-Partisan Partisan

In common with the vast majority of Americans polled, I am - to put it mildly - disappointed in Congress; indeed, appalled at its polarization, venality, and dysfunction. In consequence, I've written a short tract to encourage some independent non¬partisans to run for Congress - which sorely needs them - and which sets forth a novel strategy with the promise of winning them seats there. I call it A MODEST PROPOSAL for Non-Partisan Partisans (AMP). The strategy, by the way, worked spectacularly at the state level in the early 1900s, but has mostly been for¬gotten. What's more, the strategy has implications for presidential races, as well, although it's probably too late for 2008.

AMP is, of course, copyrighted, but, as I believe the work to be original, timely, and important, I'm putting it on the Internet with permission to download and share it, provided that those who choose to do so make no commercial or monetarily profitable use of it.

In addition, I've included on this Website a much shorter article, also copyrighted, abstracted from AMP, entitled The Unappreciated Primary (TUP), which deals with the centerpiece of that strategy, i.e. the major party primary, that non-partisans should use in seeking Congressional seats, or, for that matter, the presidency or state or local office. TUP may be downloaded and shared under the same conditions as apply to AMP.

Should some publisher, having read AMP or TUP, wish to publish either, and we come to a deal, I'm prepared to take either or both off the Internet and close down the website.

Meanwhile, it would be undeniably nice to realize some monetary recompense for the thought, effort, and expense that went into the creation of the works. So, should a reader feel inclined to show monetary appreciation he may do so by clicking the “donate now” button that appears throughout this website.

I suppose that, being an unknown scholar, I should set forth my credentials for daring these works, although each, of course, stands on its own merit. I graduated from Harvard with high honors in History and Government, and hold an M.A. in Political Science from Columbia, having written theses for both degrees. My professional life, however, has been devoted to the practice of law - not academia.

Leonard J. Rosenfeld
110 Foulkeways Gwynedd PA 19436-1018
Leonard@nonpartisanpartisans

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To download a complete copy of A Modest Proposal, click here.