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The 17th Amendment allows the elections of senators. Apparently the reason for the 17th was to combat corruption, well as we have seen with some of the career senators that point seems to be moot. I just read this piece that makes a good point on how the way it used to be regarding them (the state legislator appointed them).
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/55_35/guest/39156-1.html
What do you think?
Prior to 1913, Members of the Senate were chosen by state legislatures to be the agents of those governments in Washington, D.C., much like ambassadors today at the United Nations. The framers’ legislative design was subtle, but ingenious: While a Member of the House would represent the interests of the people as citizens, a Senator would represent the very different interests of the people’s sovereign state governments. This structure embodied the original meaning of the term “separation of powers.” The legislature would domicile two distinct powers (the people and the states) to compete bill by bill for the direction and scope of the federal government.
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/55_35/guest/39156-1.html
What do you think?