A brief musing on the Brothers Levin
Kasia November 4th, 2008
Sander Levin is my Congressional representative. Carl Levin is one of my U.S. Senators. And yes, they are brothers – Sander is the elder.
I have never had a particular opinion about Sander. Carl, on the other hand, I have always liked; and while I disagree strenuously with him on some key issues, I believe he is as honest a man as we have in federal politics.
That said, I confess I am never entirely comfortable when a public servant has been in his position for the better part of 30 years, and both of them have been. Yes, it gives experience. Yes, it gives seniority. These are both good things. But it is a testament to how firmly ensconced both of them are in their respective positions that I did not know who was running against either of them until I went to fill out my sample ballot in preparation for going to the polls.
Seriously. I may have seen a grand total of half a dozen lawn signs for Carl, and none for his opponent (who by the way is named Jack Hoogendyk). I can see that many Obama or McCain signs on almost any given block. In other words, people either don’t realize that he’s running, or they aren’t bothering to either support or oppose him. Neither of those strikes me as being good for democracy.
I haven’t seen any lawn signs for Sander or his opponent, Bert Copple, either. Seems to me the same thing is at play.
Oh well. The Brothers Levin will, short of a certifiable miracle, either retire on their own timelines or leave their offices feet first. And in the meantime, it’ll behoove me to not put my faith in princes (or politicians, or even the political process).
Huh? You’re in Sandy’s district? That’s . . . interesting. I didn’t know it extended that far east. Especially because I think that the other side of Greenfield from me is what used to be Knollenberg’s and is now Gary Peters’s. I guess they gerrymandered it something weird back in 2000.
There’s something to be said for stasis in the Senate, at the very least. And Carl’s a very hard worker there and wields strong power, so he’s never in any trouble. I do think Sandy should retire soon, because I’d like to see some good turnover locally and a bit of a shakeup, speaking here as a Southfield Dem. But I don’t know when it’s gonna happen.
Knollenberg went down in flames, and good riddance to bad trash. The man was a swine all around.
Yup, that’s what my ballot said, and I think that’s a pretty reliable source…
You’re right that there’s something to be said for stasis in the Senate. There’s even something good to be said for it (excuse the nitpickiness – I’m overtired, which never ends well). But I think there’s also something to be said for it not being a guaranteed job.
That said, I agree with you about Carl – he’s a hard worker and I think he has integrity; though again I don’t agree with him on some key issues, I do respect him. Sandy is almost 80, and I think would do best to retire soon, but I doubt he will. They’re of the generation that tend to want to die with their boots on, so to speak.
Like with Sandy, I have no particular opinion about Knollenberg – he’s been around quite a while, though not nearly as long as either Levin, but he’s never been my rep so I’ve never bothered to do much research on him. But it is noteworthy that someone with what, 14 years or so of House experience got booted. And didn’t he lose pretty decisively? I don’t remember the numbers and CNN’s site isn’t cooperating…
Knollenberg was one of the biggest SOBs in the House, and the national Democratic machine pumped a lot of money into that race to get him outsted.
Sandy’s wife died about a month and a half ago (I went to the funeral) — seems to me might be a good indication he’s ready to retire. You know how it goes with old folks when one of the couple dies.