The original constitutional purpose of the Senate — to represent the states, not the people who live in them...
Dont understand this.
Is it liberal jargon or is there something to it?
The States, Sovereigns in their own right, are the principal Partys involved in the federal government. It exist, of was to exist, only to perform certain specific functions and no others under any circumstances whatsoever (barring an amendment whereby the States presented it some particular new potency).
Slowly, the power of the States as an equal partner in the Federal system has been eroded. The 16th A. gave the Feds the power to directly tax the people, and so gave them unlimited funding. The 17th A. converted the Senate into another House, stripping the States of direct representation. The 14th A. has been employed to make the 10th A. essentially meaningless. The Wickard v. Fillmore decision made the interstate commerce clause meaningless and gave the Feds jurisdiction over all trade.
The last remnant of power equalizing the States is the Electoral College, and it is under assault. States have basically become local administrative districts of the Federal government, with barely any local sovereignty left.
He’s correct. The 17th amendment fatally distorted the nature of the Senate.
Senators were supposed to represent the state legislatures in Washington DC and were appointed by them.
Term limits. And if not that, at least reduce their terms to 4 years.