[LostInBayport]

It isn't the parties, it's the people - the parties are just the reflection. We've met the enemy and it is us...

You have a point. I do think we send some good people there, but many of them are (quickly) corrupted by the general swampiness. Has anyone ever tested the water on Capitol Hill?

[semimojo]

Has anyone ever tested the water on Capitol Hill?

It isn't the DC swamp water, it's the water out here in Heartland Springs, USA.

Politicians who tell the truth about the trade offs between taxes and services don't get (re-)elected.

The public wants to believe that we can have fully funded SS and Medicare, universal healthcare and a super-robust military and the other guy will pay for it.

The best we can hope for is politicians who lie to get elected but figure out how to break their promises gracefully enough to do the right thing yet get re-elected.

There are a few of them around but not many.