Lawmakers Balance Politics With Public Opinion

Lawmakers on Capital Hill are juggling the needs of the country with public outcry this week. Legislators have been arguing over the 700-billion dollars in taxpayer money to buy troubled assets that are weakening the country’s financial markets. It is widely unsupported by the general public, but the Bush administration insists it is necessary to save the country’s economy.University of Louisville political science professor Dewey Clayton says it’s a tough balancing act for lawmakers, but not an unusual one."Legislators are often asked to do what’s not necessarily best in the best interest of their constituents," says Clayton, "although they usually try to do that, but sometimes they have to put aside what’s in the best interest of their constituents and try to do what’s best for the country as a whole."Clayton says the added pressure of an upcoming re-election bid is complicating matters for many on Capitol Hill.