Regardless of which party controls the proceedings, 535 wannabe leaders cannot lead our nation out of a paper bag. Congress has the power to approve, disapprove, review, recommend, reject and restrict laws. They use this power to manipulate regulations derived from the laws, intimidate regulatory agencies through the budgeting process and restrict our economic freedom through taxing and spending.

Though Congress is ideally an important component of the system of checks and balances envisioned by our founding fathers, it is essentially a committee of committees and subcommittees. That is why common sense solutions rarely make it to the floor of the House or Senate for an up or down vote. A committee that sets out to design a horse often ends up with a camel. A Congress that sets out to achieve a bipartisan spirit and accountability will end up with another volume to the tax code.

This nation has been blessed with a few great leaders, especially at the most critical times in our history. With a global war occupying our military and a crumbling economic infrastructure threatening our prosperity at home, we are unfortunately devoid of political leaders when we desperately need them. This leadership void must be filled by the people, and consistent public pressure. The pressure must come from all of us.

The incremental nature of Congress is not leadership. The circular knowledge of ideas inside the Beltway is not leadership. Responding only in times of immediate crisis is not leadership. And undermining the leadership of the president, especially in times of war, is destructive.

Control of Congress may give a few political party leaders a fleeting sense of power, but it cannot fill the genuine leadership void that plagues our nation’s capitol.

We will receive the leadership we demand, or accept the void we have.