Perception,

they say, is everything! In politics, anyway.

Don't know about everything, but perception does count for a lot. Once I perceive that something is happening a certain way, it takes a lot of persuasion to change my thinking.

I have always marveled at how brief, how concise our Constitution was written. It is remarkably clear, unmistakeable in purpose.

Laws are no longer written that way. Now they are thousands of pages long, unreadable, unless you have the time to check all the references. I once thought that was because the attorneys writing these laws wanted to make them very narrow, wanted to make them "escape proof". My perception has changed.

Now, I believe these bills are written long and complicated to provide lots of wiggle room. To obscure, to obfuscate, to hide certain politically unpopular agendas.

I find that saddening. Must we start from a position that will allow us to deceive? What is the reason for this position? If a politician has an idea for a new law, why cannot he/she throw it out there to be tested in open debate? Is it the desire for re-election that drives them to couch things in a way that can be modified without admitting they may have been wrong?

As Charles Krauthammer noted, the beauty of passing a bill of such monstrous length. You can insert a chicken soup recipe and no one will notice.

Once a long, complicated piece of legislation is introduced, why do Congressmen and Senators vote on it, and presidents sign it, without even reading it? Is it all for the protection of their particular political party? Have we really fallen that low?

Don't know, but that is my perception.