Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.
Thomas Jefferson

What the heck was he talking about? I think it means if we receive something without performing the corresponding due diligence, that is doing our homework, we should not be surprised if bad things happen. The people who handed over their money to Bernie Madoff on blind faith should not be surprised with the result.

The same can be said with our tax dollars. We send our money off to the government organizations (Federal and State) and we don't pay attention to how our representatives manage it. Consequently we have the Chris Dodds and Barney Franks of congress feathering their nests with our tax dollars or worse yet feathering their political agenda.

There is a tremendous amount of media coverage on the President and virtually none on the Congress. However, it is Congress that needs an equal amount of oversight. Congress is the organization that raises taxes an authorizes the President's budget. It is the members of congress that sneak in the line items into the budget for bridges to nowhere.

We need to pay attention and focus on them. We need to evaluate their deeds and votes.