Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who is up for re-election in 2010 and is heavily favored to win, has made an interesting admission: That he’s not thinking about South Carolina when he votes in the Senate, but about larger conservative principles.
From The State:
DeMint, 58, makes no bones that he’s more focused on advancing conservative goals nationwide than on pursuing the parochial interests of his state.
“All of you all over the country – please remember that Senate seats are not about a particular state,” DeMint told more than 4,000 listeners on the recent conference call. “They’re about our country. Every vote I take is not about South Carolina. It’s about the United States of America.”
In practice, legislative governance is often a balancing act between the immediate interests of one’s constituents and the greater national interest. Sometimes, choosing one can mean short-changing the other in immediate terms. But it’s rare to see a legislator so bluntly acknowledge that his votes aren’t about his constituents.
