Posted on 11/04/2002 5:15:19 AM PST by wewillnotfail
Mondale: "I...I... I respect you... I... I... BLAH BLAH BLAH!!"
Nope, they let all the applause go for Mondale!
Yep .. Mondale is getting more time because he keeps cutting off Coleman and won't let him finish his sentence
Nonsense. Coleman MUST attack, while still being gracious, a la Saxby last night. Mondale has a long record of failed ideas and bad policy to smash. Coleman should also skewer Mondale on his HMO experience and contrast with Wellstone: "you can't have it both ways Fritz".
Coleman needs to bring up issues he know Mondale has not been prepped on, to capitalize on Mondale's history of confused debate rambling.
FR is crawling once again Jane.
Ms. Himelgrin's characterization of Congress as "...an institution devoted to facilitating the exploitation and oppression of the working people in the interests of enriching a handful of wealthy families" is close to the mark. Change "wealthy families" to "special interests" and you hit the bull's eye. However, I do not share her class warfare view of the world and respectfully decline her invitation to her demonstration.
Ann Wynia and Rod Grams make several good points with which I agree. Ms. Wynia correctly says, "...Congress is not responsive..." and correctly cites special interests, obstructionists and petty partisan bickering as contributing factors. Mr. Grams correctly states, "Congress has become a bloated institution which is more interested in serving itself than the very people they are elected to serve. Congressional reform is long overdue."
Mr. Grams cites several reform measures which I also advocate including term limits, rotating congressional committee chairs, elimination of unnecessary subcommittees and excessive congressional staff and requiring Congress to live under the same laws it places on others. I would add a lobbyist gift ban, which Mr. Grams opposes, and the elimination of pensions for members of Congress. Our elected representatives have looted the Treasury to provide obscene pensions for themselves. If elected, I will not accept a Congressional pension.
When it comes to government reform, it isn't enough to simply identify the problem or author legislation. In fact, such action by our elected representatives is deceptive more often than not. Sadly, most incumbents have no intention of reforming Congress. If the will to do so was there, reform would have happened by now. The public isn't holding them back. Who else but Congress is hindering reform?
For real reform to occur (beyond the superficial tinkering Mr. Grams credits himself with) legislation must be passed not just introduced. For many in Congress, introducing reform bills is a marketing sham designed to dupe the voters with statements like, "My support for reform is proven by the fact I authored..." Those statements are as meaningless as most bills introduced in Congress. What counts is what passes.
I ask both Mr. Grams and Ms. Wynia, how can you possibly expect voters to believe you will reform anything when you are both up to your necks in special interest campaign contributions? What do you expect to give in return for these massive amounts of money? And how do you expect voters to take you seriously when you use this money to trash each other in your TV ads?
Using this money this way speaks volumes about what voters can expect if you are elected. Not only do you obligate yourself to special interests, you treat voters like children, insulting us with your cartoon ads, misrepresentation and mindless bickering. And you would have us believe you are the ones to reform Congress?
I ask the E-DEBATE audience, who do you think will be the better reformer, one of those two or Dean Barkley who is not beholden to either major party and refuses special interest money?
Dean Barkley, Independence Party Candidate for Senate
Question...are they going to talk about anything other than abortion?
Doesn't want ANWAR drilling????
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