But Is There a Doctor in the House?
Senator Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) is the new majority leader of the upper house, but he is also a surgeon. He made the news over the New Year holiday by coming to the aid of several injured people whose SUV tipped over. Saving the lives of potential voters is always good politics, but if the GOP and the Dems are paying attention, they might realize that nominating and electing non-lawyers is the way to go.
Lawyers are, of course, hated far and wide because they turn up whenever life gets ugly -- a trait they share with the clergy and journalists. However, like men of the cloth and of the pen, there are a great many lawyers who actually help rather than harm and whose service to their country goes far beyond their financial compensation. Clarence Darrow and Thurgood Marshall spring to mind.
But the problem in Washington politics is the over-representation of the bar. Senator Frist is the first man of medicine in a generation to serve in the world's greatest debating society. While one may argue that it takes a certain amount of intellect to perform as a legislator, one cannot argue that the average lawyer is more qualified intellectually that the average physician. Bill Clinton's first cabinet was supposed to be diverse, a cabinet that looked like the country. The black, hispanics and women he appointed were, without exception, lawyers. Professional diversity is lacking.
Should plumbers, carpenters, teachers, "domestic engineers", and truck drivers be legislators? One's answer truly reflects one's commitment to democracy. Currently, Senator Frist is vastly outnumbered.