Former Congressmen Burn Down the House

Former Rep. Dan Lipinski, Democrat from the Chicago area, and Reid Ribble, Republican from Wisconsin, ...

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Former Rep. Dan Lipinski, Democrat from the Chicago area, and Reid Ribble, Republican from Wisconsin, join Sarah and Steve about how Congress works or doesn’t work, rather. The two former elected officials highlight the failures of the House of Representatives with troubling personal stories and insights. Fair warning, this conversation is as distressing as it is informative. Plus, stick around to hear what the Wisconsinite and Illinoisian think about this weekend’s Packers vs. Bears game. 

Show Notes: 

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Comments (31)
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  1. Mathew A

    I wonder if it's possible to have a new version of the contract with America. Possibly even a bit-partisan version. Something like

    I swear not not attribute malign motives to my political opponents without just cause
    That compromise is a political good, not partisan evil
    That I will not attempt to pack the court (and will support an amendment to the constitution to set the number of justices at 9)
    That big changes should require bi-partisan buy-in. And that I won't support attempts to destroy the fillibuster

    And even crazier, maybe that tax rates and expenses should be set at a level that they pay for each other over the business cycle

    that 2% inflation is really a horrible level of destruction of the value of our money


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      Narwhal

      “And even crazier, maybe that tax rates and expenses should be set at a level that they pay for each other over the business cycle”

      Do you mean fiscal year? Business cycle means something different to me.

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      1. Mathew A

        No I definitely mean business cycle.

        IE, I'm okay with additional spending during a recession IF it's balanced out when the economy is growing (the classic Kensyian economic)

        Of course that's not what we do. It's just more and more debt

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  2. Zack Frank

    Oh hey look, another confirmation that the House's impotency, much like our entire government's, stems from the Senate's unnatural, unplanned, and recently adopted de facto 60 vote threshold

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  3. Matthew Ottone

    Thank you for this episode. It restored some hope that there are sincere people who want to honestly debate issues in this country.

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    Bill Dyer (aka Beldar)

    Your next podcast can be on "What's right with Congress."

    But you'll have to come up with additional topics to fill the other 58 minutes of your one-hour target length.

    *****

    "Whole 'nuther level." +1 for this, Ms. Isgur. I've used the phrase "whole 'nuther" several times in depositions, but have always been disappointed to see it transcribed by the diligent court reporters as "another whole," which just ain't the same.

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    Andrea Leane

    Great interview. So glad I subscribe to you guys. Quality work, as always.

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    Ben Connelly

    Great interview!

    Congress and the House will only be fixed when we, the American People, fix ourselves. We need to look to home and fix that first and realize that responsibility still rests with us. We get the Congress we deserve. It will require a rebirth of civic virtue and a return to an understanding of citizenship rightly understood to get governance rightly understood.

    We need a cultural reawakening. Yuval Levin is correct. But/and it starts with American citizens rebuilding (or founding) institutions with a new understanding of the purpose of institutions and the role that we play in serving them (instead of using them to perform). Civic virtue will require education, which does not just mean primary and secondary and undergraduate and graduate schooling. It will require re-educating American adults/the American People/the American Public.

    The Dispatch does very good work including with this interview. You have formed a new institution and you are succeeding in carrying out an important purpose. I believe that the example of the Dispatch should hearten those of us who believe we need to reform other institutions or found new ones.

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  7. DJ

    Great episode. The misaligned incentives problem in Congress seems like a pretty strong argument for public financing of elections. This would be a good experiment for a state to run but I don’t know where it has any traction. Maybe a place like Colorado that changed redistricting to be done by a commission.

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    Deb4711

    Thank you for the warning. I am a founding member of the Dispatch -- lured here by Jonah and David -- but I've been reading and listening very selectively lately, because the political situation is too depressing. I admire you all for confronting it head-on every day, and I'm glad I don't have to. Maybe I'll start up again when that third party is founded.

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    Faraday

    Thank you. Very enlightening and depressing.

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  10. Ryan King

    I have listened to every single Dispatch podcast for about the past year. I love the Wednesday pod that goes over current events and then the Friday podcast which seems to focus on interviews. I can honestly say that this was my favorite, but at the same time depressing, podcast I have listened to from the Dispatch. So informative and such a good discussion from people who saw how the sausage was made, or I should say the lack of sausage being made. Great work Steve and Sarah and thank you so much for giving of your time Congressmen Ribble and Lipinski. I will continue to do my part to elect pragmatic, sensible congressmen and congresswomen.

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