By Alex Granados
June 6, 2010
They certainly have different temperaments—Connolly is a more excitable type while Wolf seems more laid-back—but their approach to politics seems somehow more decent than that of many of their congressional brethren.
Periodically the editorial board of the News & Messenger has met with each congressmen, and what I find refreshing is that neither of these men dwells much on the ills of their opponents across the aisle. Rather, both men seem to be focused on ideas and solutions.
In that respect, I'm happy that we have two representatives such as these, rather than the hundreds of other lunatics from which to choose.
Rep. Wolf came into our office Wednesday. He was in town visiting some local businesses and we arranged to have him talk with us.
While the congressman is certainly critical of Obama, especially when it comes to his dealings with the economy and the rising American debt, he only mentions the criticism in passing, choosing instead to focus on ideas that he is putting forth to solve our nation's problems.
For instance, Wolf told us that he sent a letter to the chairmen of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, telling them that they should have public meetings nationwide.
He says that public support and participation is needed to ensure that any recommendations put forth by the commission are accepted. And he has a good point. During our editorial board meeting, Wolf discussed with us how he senses frustration from the public because they feel as if they are not involved in some of the great issues facing us today.
That frustration is certainly something I have noticed too, both in online comments and letters to the editor. There is a growing sense that everything is rolling out of the control of the American people, and being left in the hands of out-of-touch, detached, so-called leaders. I know I feel that way.
And, of course, Wolf's participation in debt solution goes beyond this simple letter. He has also created legislation that would establish a bipartisan commission to address the budget crisis. It's called the Securing America's Future Economy Commission Act. That's SAFE for short.
Whatever else you might say about Wolf, he is certainly involved.
The conversation with the congressman ranged through many other topics, including terrorism—where he has quite a few ideas he is pushing—the oil spill, the Tea Party and this November's elections.
But nowhere in that conversation did I see the sense of superiority displayed by so many politicians these days. Be they Republican or Democrat, I get the feeling hearing our leaders speak that they think their opponents are stupid and perhaps evil. Extreme thought is close to insanity in appearance and effect, and it, too, is a great contributor to our ills.
But in Wolf, there is only calm contemplation. At one point near the end of our conversation, the fate of the GOP was discussed, and Wolf pointed out that Republicans need to move away from their "no" mentality and start laying out the solutions they stand behind. Refreshingly, he also said that the GOP needs to admit that it has, at times, erred. After all, he said, people know Republicans have made mistakes.
I guess Wolf hit all of the right buttons for me, because what I want more than anything is to have leaders who act like adults, and who don't pretend that they are engaged in some sort of epic battle of good versus evil with their political opponents. It's ridiculous, though I suppose in a culture raised on simplistic television shows and movies, we shouldn't really expect anything different.
But fortunately, whether we expect it or not, we do get something different from Wolf, and, for that matter, Connolly. I didn't talk much about Connolly here, mainly because the focus of this column is on our interview with Wolf, but Connolly has always struck me as sincere and determined to do what he believes is right. I can respect that.
Connolly and Wolf are reasonable men. Whether your political proclivities allow you to believe that is for you to decide.
NOTE: Republican Rep. Rob Wittman represents a small portion of the county, and from what I've heard, he is also a good, reasonable representative. However, since I have never met him, I did not include him in this column.
