Tom started out noble enough but he has become corrupted and unreliable. He now seems to be pretty much just another part of the machine and absorbed by the borg that is politics.
I have observed that roughly 10 years is the threshold.
Ten years (says 2 Senate terms which is 12, still roughly 10!) and you start becoming more interested in preserving the DC “status quo”. In short your constituency is the “Beltway Crowd” not your home constituency.
Some politicians arrive desiring to serve that “Beltway Crowd (preserve the current DC status quo”!) they are called Democrats. Others arrive and have it seep into their “pores” by being there too long (roughly 10 years) they are called Republicans.
The only solution is Term Limits”
2 terms in the Senate (12 years) then must sit out a full term to regain eligibility,
6 terms in the House (12 years) then sit out 3 terms (6 years) to regain eligibility,
During the period of ineligibility the politician needs to go home, run for mayor, county commissioner, governor or even “Dare I say it?” , get a job in private industry !
But GO HOME and see what the effects were back home on the "folks" given 10 years of the politician’s governing “wisdom”.
The average politician who is capable of honest self-relfection will be shocked !
To the extent they are on our side, great. To the extent to they go over the fence, or get neutralized, they become BASTARDS in my book and need to be removed by primaries, recalls, witholding of funds, you name it. And they need to know there is a Constitutionalist Tea Party faction that is a) very powerful, and b) will stand up to them.