What a sad state of affairs we have now where Republicans voters jumping all over the place and supporting the flavor of the month for candidates.  Originally, Michelle Bachman was the go-to person for the conservatives, and then a month later it was Rick Perry, or Herman Cain. Then the Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum merry-go-round where each one of them switched who’s on top depending on the state caucus or primary. Sounds like the Republicans have a Baskin-Robbins 32 flavors to choose from.

It seems like Mitt Romney has the best shot of putting on a sustained campaign to actually challenge President Obama because he is closer to the middle than most. It also seems that the entire Republican Party holds its nose every time Mitt Romney is brought up but in the end I predict he will be the candidate. While Romney is vanilla for the base he at least doesn’t carry the baggage others do.

What is unfortunate is that the Republican base cannot coalesce to rally around a single candidate to challenge a weak President. If they ever wanted to make a member of the opposite party a one-term President, this is the opportunity.  Regardless of how you feel about both parties, this election has been a circus so far and the fun only is going to continue.

Once again the electorate is going to have to pick the lesser of two evils in my opinion. Is it better to have the devil you know or the devil you don’t? Election day will tell.

With the beginning of a new year there comes an opportunity to give back. For Congress, this could mean something as simple as passing good legislation that will have a positive impact on every American citizen. With Congress’ approval rating at all-time low, now more than ever they should be looking to do the right thing.

When I came to Washington I truly believed that I came here to make a difference. And in doing so I knew that meant more than just doing my job, it meant utilizing my skills and contacts to help others in need. At Miller Wenhold Capitol Strategies, we take that mission to give back very seriously and donate hundreds of hours every year to giving back to those in need. My business partner has created an annual charity basketball game that pits Members of Congress versus lobbyists and raises tens of thousands of dollars every year for local underprivileged children. He’s raised over $600,000 that has been used to help countless children in the Washington, D.C. area. The charity that I created, the Capitol PurSuit Drive, collects gently used business clothing from lobbyists, Members of Congress, congressional staff, the White House and other businesses in Washington, and gives these donations to Americans trying to reenter the workforce.

My goal in creating this charity was simple. I believe that if I could help one person find a job that my time in Washington made a positive impact on a fellow American’s life. It’s amazing how a person lights up when they’re given the needed business clothing that will allow them to compete for employment in a tight job market. I truly believe that my charity gives people a hand up, not a handout. The event is held once a year for four hours on Capitol Hill and every year we have 5-10,000 items donated in just four hours. Over six year span we have been able to collect over 50,000 items of business clothing, valued at over $2.1 million, that has been given back to American’s in need.

When I created this charity I did for no other reason but to help others but along the way some very cool things happened to me. I was named by the Washington Post as a top business person in the city that gave back, tagged as “the lobbyist with a heart”,  and also awarded the Presidential Call to Service award, which is the country’s highest award for citizen volunteerism. While these accolades and awards are nice, they pale in comparison to handing a suit over to somebody who’s never owned one and seeing the look in their eyes. One of the best days of my life was when I gave a nice suit to a recipient and they looked at the suit, looked at me and put his hand on my shoulder and said “thank you Mr. Wenhold,  you gave me the best gift in the world, the gift of hope.” It doesn’t get any better than that.

Everyone should make contributing to charity a part of their business plan. That includes Fortune 500 companies all the way down to the mom-and-pop businesses that are the backbone of America. For example, a company we do business with (Primeau Productions) is extremely active in giving back. They work with local rescue missions, the Humane Society, the Napoleon Hill Foundation, and St. Jude’s Hospital. At MillerWenhold, we pride ourselves on our philosophy of giving back and making a difference and proud to associate ourselves with other companies that do the same.

As Congress comes back to Washington from their winter break, they might do well to take a page out of our playbook and remember what they each came to Washington for. Making a difference is what they were elected to do so now it’s time for them to step up and give America hope once again.

Now as I say this, I believe in the individual Members of Congress and think that they come here with the best intentions: to be public servants and to truly want to make a difference. It sounds cliché, but it is not. It is why most of us in the political game migrate to DC—it’s why I did. The problem is not the individual Members but the party structure and the power that those parties wield. In 20 years, I have seen great Members of Congress “whipped” by their party leaders into voting the party line on bad bills, which might be diametrically opposed to their personal opinion on an issue. They are forced to vote a certain way or else they are threatened with losing their standing or committee seats. While it may seem simple to a layperson, the average American does not understand that, for example, a senior Representative sitting on the Transportation Committee means better roads for that legislator’s constituents. If he/she lost that seat, the constituents would pay the price by losing their new road projects. So the legislator votes the party line and gives a small piece of their soul away.

Unfortunately, this happens all the time and the parties are strictly to blame for these strong arm techniques. America has the best political system in the world. At times it may not feel like it, but it is true. Over the next few weeks this continuing article will look at what changes could be made to once again make America the beacon of hope we once were, instead of the punch line of a joke our system has become. I look forward to your comments, constructive dialogue, and ideas on how we can turn this around and finally put America First in politicians’ minds.