• The Supreme Court Breakfast Table
  Should there be a shooting range next to the Supreme Court gift shop?
  Walter Dellinger
  posted June 27, 2008
• The Supreme Court Breakfast Table
  Was it ever Miller time?
  Dahlia Lithwick
  posted June 26, 2008
• What's the Big Secret?
  Continuing the conversation.
  Patrick Radden Keefe
  posted Aug. 30, 2007
• A Supreme Court Conversation
  Everything convservatives should abhor.
  Walter Dellinger
  posted June 29, 2007
• The Midterm Elections
  The blame game, George Allen, and more.
  Mark Halperin
  posted Nov. 3, 2006
• Search for more the breakfast table articles
• Subscribe to the the breakfast table RSS feed
• View our complete the breakfast table archive

Decter and Podhoretz

That's because members of the House, being elected for two-year terms, necessarily start running for the next election the day after they win, whereas the six-year term enjoyed by Senators putatively affords them more insulation from the passing winds of public opinion. Yet under the American political system, legislators are supposed to represent the wishes of their constituents, so it's a little unfair to deride them for paying too much attention to polls and such. Many high-minded people prefer the theory of representation developed by Edmund Burke in 18th-century England. Under this theory, a member of Parliament should vote according to his own conscience and best judgment, and pay little or no attention to the wishes of his constituents. In that sense the House Republicans acted as Burkeans rather than as conventional American politicians, and the Senators have done the opposite.

PRINTDISCUSSE-MAIL

• News & Politics
  Who's Going To Win Florida? Ask a Realtor.
• Sports
  If Only Baseball Pundits Were as Smart as Football Pundits
• Arts & Life
  Why Are There So Many New Books About the English Language?
• Business & Tech
  The Problem With Putting All Your Money in Gold

• Today's Headlines
• 900-Pound Giant Squid Joins Cast Of 'The View'
  Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0400
• Scott Bakula Jumps Into McCain's Body Just Before Election
  Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:54:13 -0400
• Financial Planner Advises Shorter Life Span
  Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:00:53 -0400
• » More from the Onion

• Today's Headlines
• The Economy: What We Need Is Leadership
  Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:39:13 GMT
• Samuelson: The Engine of Mayhem
  Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:15:23 GMT
• Cars: GM-Chrysler Merger Would Be A Lemon
  Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:51:58 GMT
• » More from Newsweek

• Today's Headlines
• Letter From North Carolina
  Fri, 10 October 2008 18:50:36 GMT
• Poll-arized Mistrust
  Fri, 10 October 2008 20:16:32 GMT
• Oh, Lord, Kumbaya
  Fri, 10 October 2008 18:31:56 GMT
• » More from The Root