Lord Feinstein

I've been bothered by the reaction of a whole generation of supposedly progressive (or at least big "D" Democratic) politicians to Obama's presidency. As he picks his team, and rolls out some hints about policy directions, all sorts of old-timers are voicing "hurumps." The worst might be Dianne Feinstein. We have her public complaints about Leon Panetta, as well as her sweeping aside efforts by Harry Reid and Obama to keep Roland Burris at arm's length. What's going on here? I think it is a case of advanced Senatoritis. Members of the U.S. Senate seem to acquire increasingly inflated egos the longer they serve and grow to expect deference and kowtowing from everyone they encounter. They are America's House of Lords. And like the House of Lords, they do almost nothing that threatens to shake up the establishment. One should never expect the Senate to lead us anywhere. The best we can hope for is that the Senate doesn't get in the way when, as might happen now and then, a president shows up and elects to map out a new direction. Such was our luck when FDR constructed the New Deal legislation, although at times Alben Barkley, Senate Majority Leader, would rise up to assert the Senate's independence.

Steve Conn over at Rustbelt Intellectual has some perhaps parallel observations about Arlen Specter. Specter's recent threats to block or complicate the confirmation of Attorney General nominee Eric Holder can be seen, like Feinstein's hurumphing, as an expression of Specter's exaggerated view of his importance. As a member of the Senate, it seems he believes, he is owed the courtesy of being heard.

The reality is, I think, that we can expect years of foot-dragging by the Senate. Their rules, which reward committee assignments through senority, mean that any new members, elected to carry forward change, won't get their feet in the stirrups for years. When they get into positions of influence, years from now, I hope Al Franken, Kay Hagan, and Jeff Merkley don't come down with the same condition afflicting Feinstein. Maybe there is a way to inoculate them.