{"id":112824,"date":"2025-03-31T15:04:13","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T23:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/03\/31\/holding-office-solely-to-do-as-the-party-dictates\/"},"modified":"2025-03-31T15:04:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T23:04:13","slug":"holding-office-solely-to-do-as-the-party-dictates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/03\/31\/holding-office-solely-to-do-as-the-party-dictates\/","title":{"rendered":"Holding Office Solely To Do As The Party Dictates"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why do people run for powerful federal offices?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not talking about running for the local school board.\u00a0Well-intentioned people run for school board for entirely logical reasons.<\/p>\n

But why do people run for the Senate or the House of Representatives?<\/p>\n

You would hope the answer is:\u00a0\u201cTo do some good.\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t believe it anymore (if I ever did).<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, with the exception of Thomas Massie of Kentucky (who\u2019s accustomed to primary challenges), every Republican voted in favor of a continuing resolution to fund the government.\u00a0With the exception of Jared Golden of Maine, every Democrat voted against the continuing resolution.<\/p>\n

I understand this:\u00a0If you suggest that you might show some independence, the party pulls you into line. If you\u2019re a Republican, the president calls and tells you to vote yes.\u00a0Republicans tell you that if you vote no, Elon Musk will fund a primary challenger against you.\u00a0You\u2019re afraid that if you disobey Donald Trump, the MAGA right may physically threaten you and your family.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a Member of Congress to do?<\/p>\n

Vote as instructed, I suppose.<\/p>\n

But, if all you\u2019re going to do is whatever the party instructs, why do we need you in Congress?<\/p>\n

I understand that you\u2019re a nice person and all that, but why not elect a gerbil that always votes as instructed by the party?\u00a0The gerbil does just as much good as you do, and it doesn\u2019t eat as much at the House cafeteria.<\/p>\n

If you really think that you can\u2019t show any independence at all, don\u2019t run for reelection.\u00a0Perhaps we could replace you with someone who would help to govern America.<\/p>\n

If the only reason you\u2019re running is because the job is really cool, so therefore you should hold it, any thinking person despises you.\u00a0Get out.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same with Cabinet offices.\u00a0Marco Rubio was a Russia hawk for a long time.\u00a0Rubio consistently denounced<\/a> Putin, referring to him as \u201cbloodthirsty,\u201d \u201ca butcher,\u201d and \u201ca monster,\u201d while warning against trusting him in negotiations. During the confirmation hearing for Rex Tillerson to become secretary of state,\u00a0Rubio asked<\/a> Tillerson if Vladimir Putin was a war criminal, pressing Tillerson on various atrocities attributed to the Russian military and suspicious deaths of Putin\u2019s opponents.\u00a0Rubio expressed disappointment when Tillerson evaded his questions.\u00a0After\u00a0Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Rubio urged<\/a> the Biden administration to support Ukraine for \u201cas long as they are willing to fight.\u201d Rubio was a big supporter of the U.S. Agency for International Development,\u00a0calling it<\/a>\u00a0\u201ccritical to our national security.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those days are gone.<\/p>\n

Now that Rubio\u2019s the secretary of state, he\u2019s appeasing Putin, sitting by meekly while Trump and JD Vance berate Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, and applauding while Musk guts USAID.\u00a0Why bother holding a Cabinet office?<\/p>\n

I understand that everyone does this.\u00a0Four years ago, Democrats were all over the lot on the question of health care, with candidates\u2019 positions ranging from expanding Obamacare to \u201cMedicare for all\u201d to \u201cMedicare for all who want it.\u201d\u00a0Some people who held competing views ended up on the Cabinet, and those people tailored their views to support the administration.\u00a0But that seems a little different from having your position on key issues change from white to black just so you can hold a fancy job.<\/p>\n

I understand that Rubio wants to keep his name in the mix as a possible Republican candidate for president in 2028. But he\u2019s abandoning what appear to be his fundamental beliefs about foreign policy along the way.<\/p>\n

Should we really elect you, Marco, who seemingly holds no permanent beliefs, just so you can hold a cool office?<\/p>\n

Should you really sell your soul for the chance to run the country:\u00a0\u201cFor Wales?<\/a>\u00a0Why [Marco], it profit a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world \u2026 but for Wales!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The post Holding Office Solely To Do As The Party Dictates<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why do people run for powerful federal offices?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not talking about running for the local school board.\u00a0Well-intentioned people run for school board for entirely logical reasons.<\/p>\n

But why do people run for the Senate or the House of Representatives?<\/p>\n

You would hope the answer is:\u00a0\u201cTo do some good.\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t believe it anymore (if I ever did).<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, with the exception of Thomas Massie of Kentucky (who\u2019s accustomed to primary challenges), every Republican voted in favor of a continuing resolution to fund the government.\u00a0With the exception of Jared Golden of Maine, every Democrat voted against the continuing resolution.<\/p>\n

I understand this:\u00a0If you suggest that you might show some independence, the party pulls you into line. If you\u2019re a Republican, the president calls and tells you to vote yes.\u00a0Republicans tell you that if you vote no, Elon Musk will fund a primary challenger against you.\u00a0You\u2019re afraid that if you disobey Donald Trump, the MAGA right may physically threaten you and your family.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a Member of Congress to do?<\/p>\n

Vote as instructed, I suppose.<\/p>\n

But, if all you\u2019re going to do is whatever the party instructs, why do we need you in Congress?<\/p>\n

I understand that you\u2019re a nice person and all that, but why not elect a gerbil that always votes as instructed by the party?\u00a0The gerbil does just as much good as you do, and it doesn\u2019t eat as much at the House cafeteria.<\/p>\n

If you really think that you can\u2019t show any independence at all, don\u2019t run for reelection.\u00a0Perhaps we could replace you with someone who would help to govern America.<\/p>\n

If the only reason you\u2019re running is because the job is really cool, so therefore you should hold it, any thinking person despises you.\u00a0Get out.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same with Cabinet offices.\u00a0Marco Rubio was a Russia hawk for a long time.\u00a0Rubio consistently denounced<\/a> Putin, referring to him as \u201cbloodthirsty,\u201d \u201ca butcher,\u201d and \u201ca monster,\u201d while warning against trusting him in negotiations. During the confirmation hearing for Rex Tillerson to become secretary of state,\u00a0Rubio asked<\/a> Tillerson if Vladimir Putin was a war criminal, pressing Tillerson on various atrocities attributed to the Russian military and suspicious deaths of Putin\u2019s opponents.\u00a0Rubio expressed disappointment when Tillerson evaded his questions.\u00a0After\u00a0Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Rubio urged<\/a> the Biden administration to support Ukraine for \u201cas long as they are willing to fight.\u201d Rubio was a big supporter of the U.S. Agency for International Development,\u00a0calling it<\/a>\u00a0\u201ccritical to our national security.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those days are gone.<\/p>\n

Now that Rubio\u2019s the secretary of state, he\u2019s appeasing Putin, sitting by meekly while Trump and JD Vance berate Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, and applauding while Musk guts USAID.\u00a0Why bother holding a Cabinet office?<\/p>\n

I understand that everyone does this.\u00a0Four years ago, Democrats were all over the lot on the question of health care, with candidates\u2019 positions ranging from expanding Obamacare to \u201cMedicare for all\u201d to \u201cMedicare for all who want it.\u201d\u00a0Some people who held competing views ended up on the Cabinet, and those people tailored their views to support the administration.\u00a0But that seems a little different from having your position on key issues change from white to black just so you can hold a fancy job.<\/p>\n

I understand that Rubio wants to keep his name in the mix as a possible Republican candidate for president in 2028. But he\u2019s abandoning what appear to be his fundamental beliefs about foreign policy along the way.<\/p>\n

Should we really elect you, Marco, who seemingly holds no permanent beliefs, just so you can hold a cool office?<\/p>\n

Should you really sell your soul for the chance to run the country:\u00a0\u201cFor Wales?<\/a>\u00a0Why [Marco], it profit a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world \u2026 but for Wales!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>[email\u00a0protected]<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why do people run for powerful federal offices? I\u2019m not talking about running for the local school board.\u00a0Well-intentioned people run for school board for entirely logical reasons. But why do people run for the Senate or the House of Representatives? You would hope the answer is:\u00a0\u201cTo do some good.\u201d I don\u2019t believe it anymore (if […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":112826,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Marco-Rubio-LF-oL0XA8.png?fit=611%2C401&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}