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What Congress Did Is Disgusting
Real Clear Politics ^ | October 26, 2005 | John Stossel

Posted on 10/29/2005 11:26:41 PM PDT by Tom87

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1 posted on 10/29/2005 11:26:43 PM PDT by Tom87
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To: Tom87

"Twaddlizing?"

I'm pretty sure that's illegal in Georgia.


2 posted on 10/29/2005 11:29:59 PM PDT by gondramB
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To: Tom87

The vast majority of senators of BOTH parties, in my opinion, are completely pathetic. They are like a deck party of elites on the Titanic.


3 posted on 10/29/2005 11:41:58 PM PDT by CitizenUSA
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To: Tom87

I miss the days of firing squads and keel hauling.


4 posted on 10/29/2005 11:45:28 PM PDT by TigersEye (Wilson lied, people died, Sheehan cried, Schumer sighed, Hillary's wide, chicken fried.)
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To: gondramB
"Twaddlizing?"
"I'm pretty sure that's illegal in Georgia."


But not in West "By God" Virginia.
5 posted on 10/30/2005 12:09:25 AM PDT by MPJackal ("If you are not with us, you are against us.")
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To: Tom87
It's never going to change, no matter what party is 'in' until voters start fighting the right battles. The US is no longer a country with government of/for/by the people. The whole purpose of our political set up was to keep the power in the hands of the voters. That has become an empty act. And as far as I can see there's no way to change it, because to do that you have to change the constitution and to do that you have to get the congress to make the changes. So you have a catch 22.

IMO, the battles should be: 1. establish term limits, being a politician should NOT be a career, I suggest a maximum of 8 years total with regard the congress i.e. 4 terms house, or 1 term house, 1 term senate, if we keep the popular election of senators - see next item; 2. eliminate popular election of senators, they are supposed to represent their state not the people, that's the representatives' job. I find it incredible that in a country which professes to be established on the idea of States' Rights, the only entity that has no direct representation in congress are those same states. Go back to what the constitution originally had; 3. set up terms so that time spent in office is 3 months DC, 3 home, 3 DC, 3 home. That would sure keep them down home where we, their bosses, are, not in the elitist atmosphere of DC; 4. something has to be done about campaign finance, and the kind of bills they do now are not the answer. IMO, the only real answer is to eliminate any kind of direct campaign finance. So, all contributions would go to one huge fund and that would be divided between all candidates qualified and running for office. Like that would ever happen. But, it sure is one way to eliminate 'influence', since no one would know who contributed to their campaigns, lol. Just getting my frustrations out there....

6 posted on 10/30/2005 12:19:29 AM PDT by Ruth C
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To: Tom87

Well, it's time to give up on the Republicans.

It seems we're doomed to a huge debt and huge spending.

Remember that this bill passed 85 to 15. That means plenty of Republicans supported it. They apparently didn't have the balls to say no.




7 posted on 10/30/2005 12:21:35 AM PDT by mc6809e
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To: Tom87
"Once Republicans were in power, they started spending money even faster than the Democrats did. "

Reagan did the same thing. He ran the defecit up, won the cold war with it and then the Democrats had to raise taxes to pay it off. Reagan got what he wanted because Democrats would have thrown the money away and raised taxes anyway.

Maybe that's Bush's strategy.

8 posted on 10/30/2005 12:21:48 AM PDT by blam
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To: Tom87

Dr. Coburn is a good man, sound fellow. He is the most true conservative left in the Senate.

Regards, Ivan


9 posted on 10/30/2005 12:22:55 AM PDT by MadIvan (You underestimate the power of the Dark Side - http://www.sithorder.com/)
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To: Tom87
The Senate reprimanded Coburn by voting 82 to 15 to save the Bridge to Nowhere.

Screw the Republican Party. Screw the democRat Party. Useless parasites, all of them.

10 posted on 10/30/2005 12:24:27 AM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: Tom87

I'm sorry. I know Coburn's amendment was symbolic, but I'd much rather send money to the bridge to nowhere than anywhere near the corrupt Louisiana political machine.


11 posted on 10/30/2005 12:26:10 AM PDT by AmishDude (Welcome to the judicial oligarchy.)
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To: Tom87

What's the difference between a politician and a con artist? A con artist will sell you the Brooklyn Bridge. A politician will build the bridge for you "At no extra cost."


12 posted on 10/30/2005 12:27:05 AM PDT by WestVirginiaRebel (The Democratic Party-Jackass symbol, jackass leaders, jackass supporters.)
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To: Ruth C
It's never going to change, no matter what party is 'in' until voters start fighting the right battles. The US is no longer a country with government of/for/by the people.

You're way off.

The problem is that we have too much democracy. People are voting themselves money. It's as simple as that. Anyone threatening restraint pisses off some group that's getting a hand-out or subsidy. You don't win elections without buying votes with tax-payer money.

If you want restraint, the first thing you could do is get everyone to pay taxes. When bridges to nowhere stop being "free" to large numbers of voters, then they might change. But tell me, who's going to vote people into power that are going to tax them?

See, too much democracy. We have voters that pay too little in taxes, but want to be given large amounts of money.

As far as I'm concerned, if you receive government money, or you don't pay taxes, you should have no say concerning spending legislation. But that wouldn't be democratic. "The people" would have less power. Less power to steal from taxpayers, that is.

13 posted on 10/30/2005 12:27:49 AM PDT by mc6809e
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To: gondramB
"Twaddlizing?"

Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

14 posted on 10/30/2005 12:28:58 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: AmishDude
I'm sorry. I know Coburn's amendment was symbolic, but I'd much rather send money to the bridge to nowhere than anywhere near the corrupt Louisiana political machine.

I guess it's time the spread the corruption to Alaska, right?

That's the long-term effect of government spending like this.

Or maybe I suppose this spending is itself a form of corruption. At least of Republican principles.

15 posted on 10/30/2005 12:30:28 AM PDT by mc6809e
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To: Hank Rearden

I take hope from this, in a small way. At least there were 15 that voted for sanity. I would never have predicted that many ahead of time.


16 posted on 10/30/2005 12:33:21 AM PDT by Ingtar (Understanding is a three-edged sword : your side, my side, and the truth in between ." -- Kosh)
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To: AmishDude
I know Coburn's amendment was symbolic, but I'd much rather send money to the bridge to nowhere than anywhere near the corrupt Louisiana political machine.

Sadly Louisiana will also get their share of pork.

17 posted on 10/30/2005 12:33:28 AM PDT by c-b 1
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To: Ingtar
At least there were 15 that voted for sanity. I would never have predicted that many ahead of time.

Wow. A whole 15 votes to kill a totally-useless bridge to accomplish absolutely nothing. Yeah, that's dandy. Thank God for the Republican Party's victories over the years; it's really paid off, just like they promised. All that "limited government" going on.

Screw the Republican Party. A pack of lying, thieving parasites.

18 posted on 10/30/2005 12:43:00 AM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: blam

He ran the defecit up, won the cold war with it ==

It is wrong. Reagan didn't win cold war. He just astronomically increased US debts. http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/


19 posted on 10/30/2005 12:52:46 AM PDT by RusIvan ("THINK!" the motto of IBM)
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To: Ruth C
The truth is that we are slowly crawling toward another revolution. IMO it will be bloody and long and it is less than 50 years away.
20 posted on 10/30/2005 12:54:08 AM PDT by kublia khan (Absolute war brings total victory)
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