It seems like we are gradually getting to the point in politics where new members of Congress will, upon running for subsequent terms or bigger and better positions, be judged not by their voting records, but simply by their party affiliation. With all this party-line voting, individuals’ voting records will quickly become obsolete.

A message to Congress: Have some courage, use your own brain, vote for what you believe in, and let the Constitution oversee the process as it was always intended. You are individuals in a system that was designed to limit the power of any single person, and yet you walk around making empty threats as though you’ve overestimated your place in the world.

I’m talking about Democrats and Republicans here. (Update: I’m also talking about the Supreme Court, too.) I’d love it if some Republicans voted for the Senate health care reform bill, for example—there must be one or two of them who want it to happen, right?—but I’d also love it if some Democrats voted against it—there must be one or two of them who would rather wait for something better, right? They all have brains, and let’s be honest—every single person in a party rarely agrees with every other person in that party, so why even pretend but for political reasons?

This is an MCAT prompt recently presented to a group of students I teach:

Politicians too often base their decisions on what will please the voters, not on what is best for the country.

How timely, yes? They’re asked to explain a situation in which this might not be true. These days, this assignment is getting tougher and tougher, as such situations seem fewer and farther between with each vote, each threat of filibuster, and each election.

An even better prompt might be:

Politicians too often base their decisions on what will please voters, lobbyists, themselves, party motives, individual benefactors, corporate benefactors—basically anything other than what is best for the country.

Were I taking the MCAT again, my response would be: “There exists no such situation to the contrary. I agree wholeheartedly.”