To be a member of Congress is to represent your district. If you can't do that and don't show up to work for weeks at a time, your constituents suffer. That's simply wrong. Congress isn't like other jobs where, if you are absent, someone else can pick up your "slack"...your absence means that your constituents are not represented.
It's with the above in mind that NBC reported the following (video HERE).
While I have tremendous sympathy for Congressman Jackson and whatever issues (be they physical, mental or both) he is trying to resolve, he shouldn't get a pass on propriety. Nor should there be an expectation of absolute privacy in the arena of public service. For over a month Congressman Jackson's constituents had no idea where he was or why he wasn't showing up for work. They didn't need to know the details of his personal challenges, but they did have a right to know why they were not being represented in the nation's highest lawmaking body.
In the end, serving in Congress is a responsibility, not a right. Show up to work or resign the seat.
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