Tradition can be a good thing — except when it’s not.
Take the seniority system in the U.S. Congress. Power flows first to those whose party holds a majority; that makes sense.
After that, the main factor used to determine who will wield the most influence within the House and Senate is seniority. In other words, if you’re able to hang around long enough, you’ll have your say.
Today’s “Under the Dome” column in The News & Observer asks “Who has power?” The answer: “Not us.”
North Carolina ranks 44th in the nation in the new “Power Rankings” from Congress.org. Neither of our U.S. senators ranks among the top half of that chamber’s members. Both are freshmen, and even Elizabeth Dole’s role as the head of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee can’t move her any higher than 56th on the list of 100 senators.
