[rollo tomasi]

Legislatures want one thing -- money -- and a Conservative Senator favoring austerity and fiscal responsibility would stand in the way of them getting federal largesse.

I am just responding to this because Jacquerie never responded to me, the rest is conjecture because Crist was sure as hell not popular (Everybdy knew he was a dem). Also, you have no idea of the nature of the Florida Legislature, and again, what is a "conservative".

Since the 17th Amendment, our debt and spending has spiraled out of control with the votes of Senate "CONSERVATIVES" elected by the populous. Since the expansion of voting rights our debt and spending has spiraled out of control aided by the votes of Senate "CONSERVATIVES" elected by the populous. Reagan, considered a CONSERVATIVE, expanded government agencies and SPENDING (NON-DEFENSE related mind you, LOOK UP THE NUMBERS), with the help of the CONSERVATIVE Senate elected through a POPULISTS system.

So show me a fiscal conservative who actually cut spending, and I will show you a liar, because instead of being under the thumb of a State legislature, they are in control of 100s of special interests groups (And promises) that are immune to elections UNLIKE the State Reps.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"I am just responding to this because Jacquerie never responded to me, the rest is conjecture because Crist was sure as hell not popular (Everybdy knew he was a dem). Also, you have no idea of the nature of the Florida Legislature, and again, what is a "conservative"."

Jacquerie merely repeats the same claims about the 17th being the source of all evil in the U.S., which is ludicrous. Just because a political figure is not popular doesn't mean he or she won't be elected. Crist would've easily been elected Senator via the legislature, and would've typified the types you'd see passing for "Republicans" in an elite body.

"Since the 17th Amendment, our debt and spending has spiraled out of control with the votes of Senate "CONSERVATIVES" elected by the populous. Since the expansion of voting rights our debt and spending has spiraled out of control aided by the votes of Senate "CONSERVATIVES" elected by the populous. Reagan, considered a CONSERVATIVE, expanded government agencies and SPENDING (NON-DEFENSE related mind you, LOOK UP THE NUMBERS), with the help of the CONSERVATIVE Senate elected through a POPULISTS system."

Who would've reigned it in ? Do you know how many Republicans would've been elected to the Senate in the 1930s as an example to stop FDR's expansionist horror ? How 'bout from the 1960s to 1990s ? Virtually every state legislature except for a handful were taken over by the Democrats. It would've been rubber-stamp city, baby. As bad as it is now, it would've been even worse.