The house of representatives has been bought. Here is definitive proof

[waggy]

This is the problem with American voters. It is all about deflecting and pointing the finger at the other 'team' when someone on your team is called out. In stead of Democrat or Republican voters holding the people in the party they prefer accountable, they'd rather point the finger and say, "Oh yea? Well so and so from the other political party did something once, too!" This partisanship (from both sides) is what keeps us stuck in a rut where things will never improve. And trust me, the politicians from the left as well as the right love how fooled and divided people are.

agreed.

people get so caught up in there teams. Long as the other team gets hurt they don't care if it damages the country.

 

[Anarchist420]

Humans are good, but no more than 1/16 of all U.S. Citizens have ron paul's self-sacrificing personality (NFJ) and only a fraction of that 1/16 promote libertarianism. they are too honest to get what they want passed and they are too non-aggressive to become president. Sarah palin didnt have a strong sense of what was right and what was wrong which meant she was electable and got things done. Like me, she had a sense of duty and thought others did too. having a strong sense of duty is irrational.

 

[glenn1]

Once the right wing US Supreme Court made it clear that they too were bought and paid for, that pretty much was the end of life as we know it. Welcome to the United States Of Screwedville.

In other news, the people who voted for Santa Claus government are shocked and amazed that the people in charge of distributing the goodies are keeping the biggest share and nicest stuff. And sharing most of the rest with their clique instead of the stinky poor kids on the poor side of town.

 

[Triumph]

This is one of the reasons that I can't fully support term limits. For as much as we complain about career politicians, if we had term limits this behaviour would be the status quo. Company helps get their man elected, their man funnels public money back to company, company then hires their man after he reaches his term limit. Sad that we have to settle for the lesser of two evils.

The funny thing is, federal employees who have nowhere near the power and authority of members of congress, are hampered from doing this sort of thing. If a federal employee works on the contract award to a company, he is barred from quitting the federal government and going to work for that company, for a period of years depending on his seniority level. Same thing with gifts - peons in the federal gov't can only receive $20 worth of gifts (meaning coffee and donuts, pens, stupid crap like that) per event and $50 per year per company. Work in Congress where you hold the purse strings of trillions of federal dollars? Sure, take as much money as you want from a company!

 

[FerrelGeek]

It's also due to lazy, apathetic, willfully ignorant voters. As long as 'daddy' (or 'mommy') brings home the pork, the masses are content to let them get away with this sh*t. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

And We The People vote these bloodsuckers back into office time after time after time.

Why is that?

It is called Gerrymandering, disinformation, deceptive practices.. jesus the list goes on. It's called LIE, CHEAT AND STEAL...

 

[Londo_Jowo]

I guess it's time to dissolve the US Federal and State governments.
We can't trust the people who write the laws
We can't trust the people who determine if the laws are valid/in accordance with the Constitution (Federal & State)
We can't trust the people who enforce the laws

 

[unokitty]

Its not a matter of dissolving Congress. Fact is, that any integrity that Congress had was dissolved some time ago.

US congressional elections are financed by .26% of the population.

No one can vote for any candidate that isn't first approved by that .26 % of the population that funds Congressional elections.

Watch Professor Lessig explain this problem, and his solution, to Jon Steward.

Seven minute video.


Uno

 

[Atreus21]

So what do we do? Criminalize lobbying? Criminalize donating to political campaigns?

 

[ctbaars]

"Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."

 

[SMOGZINN]

It's also due to lazy, apathetic, willfully ignorant voters. As long as 'daddy' (or 'mommy') brings home the pork, the masses are content to let them get away with this sh*t. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Sure, write your congressman and tell him that if he doesn't do something about this you are going to vote him out of his $140,000 job where he will be offered a multi-million dollar job doing a lot less.

 

[Linux23]

So what do we do? Criminalize lobbying? Criminalize donating to political campaigns?

/this

 

[slippysoup]

So what do we do? Criminalize lobbying? Criminalize donating to political campaigns?

Yes.

 

[QuantumPion]

Yes.

Bad idea. If you criminalize donations, then only the super rich elite will be able to afford to get into office. No more grassroot candidates. If you criminalize lobbying, then representatives will always support the side of their buddies or the side that will help them get reelected. They will have no reason or incentive to listen to their constituents or have any knowledge or details about important issues other than what their super rich elite friends want.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. You can't make corruption go away with laws. The root of the problem is that the government has too much unconstitutional power worth buying. The solution is to stop the source of the problem - take away their power. Laws aimed at stopping lobbying or changing campaign laws are just bandaids.

 

[smackababy]

So what do we do? Criminalize lobbying? Criminalize donating to political campaigns?

Why is lobbying not called what it really is: bribing. It should be done away with. Plus, just socialize campaigning. You get x amount of tax dollars for each type of election. No donations, no personal funds. You can only spend x amount and if less than x is spent, it must be returned or considered as theft / embezzlement. Add in term limits for every position and bam! we might not have such a broken system. Of course, that means all those morons that "represent" us will have to get real jobs.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

So what do we do? Criminalize lobbying? Criminalize donating to political campaigns?

Publicly funded elections with a strict limit of zero dollars allowed in the form of donations from any person, organization or legal entity is a good start. Also, make corruption punishable as treason, since betrayal of the public trust is the absolute definition of working against the interests of the country. I guarantee you, once you make it so that politicians have to kiss the ass of the people (not corporate interests) and make any economic malfeasance on their part punishable by death, you'll see a pretty big change in the leadership of this country. Until then, corporations and big money are going to run things. But it's a catch-22; you won't be able to pass those laws until there are lawmakers elected who would propose and vote for those laws, and those lawmakers won't be elected without those laws in place. So we'll be content to enjoy the status quo and be glad we're not quite as fucked as Russia.

 

[squarecut1]

Why is lobbying not called what it really is: bribing. It should be done away with. Plus, just socialize campaigning. You get x amount of tax dollars for each type of election. No donations, no personal funds. You can only spend x amount and if less than x is spent, it must be returned or considered as theft / embezzlement. Add in term limits for every position and bam! we might not have such a broken system. Of course, that means all those morons that "represent" us will have to get real jobs.

Agreed.

 

[squarecut1]

The average Joe or Jane who tries to sneak out of Macy's with a couple of shirts gets the full treatment of the law, the entire law is brought to bear upon them. Because that is what our law enforcement is about. But the ones who have been bleeding this country dry with their daylight robbery for years - well, that is all legal. Because it is the same scum who make the laws. That is where you have bipartisan consensus. The bastards. The system is so effed, so broken!

 

[squarecut1]

Add to what smackababy said, the founders did not intend politics to be a career.

Public office was meant to be public service. Not a means of self enrichment.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Add to what smackababy said, the founders did not intend politics to be a career.

Public office was meant to be public service. Not a means of self enrichment.

Yup. It used to be looked at as a public service, now it is elected royalty.

 

[QuantumPion]

Why is lobbying not called what it really is: bribing. It should be done away with. Plus, just socialize campaigning. You get x amount of tax dollars for each type of election. No donations, no personal funds. You can only spend x amount and if less than x is spent, it must be returned or considered as theft / embezzlement. Add in term limits for every position and bam! we might not have such a broken system. Of course, that means all those morons that "represent" us will have to get real jobs.

Lobbying is not bribing. It is extortion. Why do you think pretty much every large business donates about an equal amount of money to both parties?

Your ideas will not solve anything. The money will just be donated/spent indirectly. You think the lawmakers are going to pass a law which will make it harder for themselves to get money and get re-elected without a workaround? Again the problem is not bad money or evil corporations. The problem is a government with unlimited, unconstitutional power to affect all of our lives.

 

[sandorski]

Campaign Contributions should be limited to Individual People(aka Human beings) and limited to <$10000ish. No Corporate, Union, or other Organizations should be permitted to provide Campaign Contributions.

Lobbyists should be limited to merely voicing their Agenda/Preference on an issue. They should not be buying Dinners, Vacations, or tickets to Events. They can schedule an appointment at the Politicians office and make their case there.

Politicians should be barred from Employment in a Private Industry they previously dealt with as a Politician, for a set period of time. At least 5 years, more would be better.

Any transfer of $ from a Private source to a Politician that violates the above would be a Criminal act by both parties requiring a minimum Prison sentence.

 

[Linux23]

one can't govern themselves. period.

 

[madoka]

Eric Cantor’s assets were worth an estimated $3.6 million at the start of his third term in 2004. He is now worth a reported $9.3 million.

This is peanuts to that hag Diane Feinstein. Her privately owned jet costs $55 million.

 

[werepossum]

Lobbying is not bribing. It is extortion. Why do you think pretty much every large business donates about an equal amount of money to both parties?

Your ideas will not solve anything. The money will just be donated/spent indirectly. You think the lawmakers are going to pass a law which will make it harder for themselves to get money and get re-elected without a workaround? Again the problem is not bad money or evil corporations. The problem is a government with unlimited, unconstitutional power to affect all of our lives.

This, exactly. As long as government remains able to make or break a corporation at will, we cannot remove money from the electoral process.

 

[theeedude]

/this

it's no longer "for the people" it has turned into "what can you do for me?" Politicians now look out how they can get paid

Corporations are the new people, my friend.