Pic Of The Moment: Boebert: Federal Funding Is Wasteful Garbage!

[malthaussen]

27. But they are really two different things.

Let's try an analogy. Supposing one is a staff officer or a subordinate of a person with the power to make decisions. One might, in his advisory capacity, strenuously argue against a measure he thinks sub-optimal, but once the decision has been made, it is his duty to work to see it carried out successfully. It is only in a very extreme case that one should resign over the decision, and that is usually when one sees moral implications beyond the content of the order that he cannot in conscience support.

In the case of Federal funding, it is the duty of a Representative to vote in accordance with what they believe is the correct decision, but if the vote nevertheless goes against them, then it is their duty to support it (and also to get the best deal for their constituents they can). Of course, in Real Life representatives rarely vote this way, instead voting as their Party leadership instructs (especially if they are Republicans). Nevertheless, the fact that they fail their duty in the first instance does not mean they have no duty in the second.

If, however, one makes a great to-do about how the decision cannot be tolerated, turns it into a moral issue in which they are a lonely, courageous voice speaking out against something fundamentally unsound, then they shouldn't be requesting a share of the allocation when it is made.

The point being, not all votes are moral questions, and thus hypocrisy, which is concerned with moral standards, does not apply unless one raises the vote to the level of a moral question, in which case they should abide by their judgement.

-- Mal