LORD ACTON WAS SO CORRECT!

A nineteenth century English historian, Lord Acton, who was born in Italy and later became professor of English History had this to say about power. He was speaking of the "infallibility" of the Catholic Church Pope when he made these remarks about power. They are applicable to today's United States Congress and the President.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”[1]
“There is not a soul who does not have to beg alms of another, either a smile, a handshake, or a fond eye.”
“The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections.”
“Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favorites.”
“[History is] not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul.”
“And remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that. All power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

The current closed door meetings between President Bush and selected members of both parties of Congress are good illustrations of the chicanery that our elected representatives are perpetrating on those whom the Americans elected and sent to Washington to represent the voters best interest.
I don't know if all politicians seek office to gain power and enhance their wealth, but having observed the shenanigans of Congress and too many Presidents for over forty years leads me to believe that all politicians have larceny in their hearts before the arrive in Washington or the State House.

Unfortunately those who come to Washington with pure intentions are soon seduced by the special interest groups who are ready to line up at their door with "gifts" if they "play ball".

Our Republic was set up to have a transparent government except in matters of National Security and War, but the closed door meeting held by the President and select members of both political parties this last week is an example of the duplicitous of our Government today.

Allegedly the meeting was held to plot strategy to get passed the illegal immigrant Amnesty Bill! This is a Bill and action that the majority of Americans believe is a bad idea. The Rassmussen poll shows 56% against the bill and 23% for the bill.
If passed this bill will have the consequences of irreparable damage to our liberty and quality of life.

But the Democrats desperately want the 12-20 million new voters and the Republicans, and I believe the President, are in the grasp of "BIG" business and special interest groups who already treat America as just another state in the World of states.

Lord Acton had this to say about the powers of Government:
"A Convention was held for the purpose at Philadelphia during the summer of 1787. The difficulty was to find terms of union between the three great states—Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts—and the smaller ones, which included New York. The great states would not allow equal power to the others; the small ones would not allow themselves to be swamped by mere numbers. Therefore one chamber( House of Representatives) was given to population, and the other, the Senate, to the states on equal terms. Every citizen was made subject to the federal government as well as to that of his own state. The powers of the states were limited. The powers of the federal government were actually enumerated, and thus the states and the union were a check on each other. That principle of division was the most efficacious restraint on democracy that has been devised; for the temper of the Constitutional Convention was as conservative as the Declaration of Independence was revolutionary."

It would seem that Our government has long since abandoned the concept of doing the will of the people and adopted a principle that "they know what is best for us and them." Especially them!