Do-Nothing Congress

[bradclark1]

Hopefully this thread will pass censorship.:hmm:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1955256&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Everything thats been going on and bills needing to be voted on and these scum work 100 days or less over a year!!!
This isn't a thing that can be placed squarely on the republicans shoulders. All democrat's would of had to do is raise a little hell to bring peoples attention to it and it would have forced them to do their jobs but they must like making $165,000 + a year for working part time too.

What a cesspool! :x :nope:

[SkvyWvr]

Hopefully this thread will pass censorship.:hmm:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1955256&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Everything thats been going on and bills needing to be voted on and these scum work 100 days or less over a year!!!
This isn't a thing that can be placed squarely on the republicans shoulders. All democrat's would of had to do is raise a little hell to bring peoples attention to it and it would have forced them to do their jobs but they must like making $165,000 + a year for working part time too.

What a cesspool! :x :nope:
Vote them all out and lets start over.:damn:

[The Avon Lady]

Hopefully this thread will pass censorship.:hmm:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1955256&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Everything thats been going on and bills needing to be voted on and these scum work 100 days or less over a year!!!
This isn't a thing that can be placed squarely on the republicans shoulders. All democrat's would of had to do is raise a little hell to bring peoples attention to it and it would have forced them to do their jobs but they must like making $165,000 + a year for working part time too.

What a cesspool! :x :nope:
I illustrated this earlier today here (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=331489&postcount=10).

[waste gate]

The article leaves me conflicted. On the one hand we as citizens are usually better off when congress does nothing. Many laws are useless, knee jerk reactions thought up for political gain and only help a very few people and cause trouble for others.

On the other hand these people are being over compensated. professional politicians who seem to want little more than spend my money, give themselves raises, and live the life of a celebrity.

Government employees (congress included) have forgotten that they work for us not the other way around.

[August]

To be fair not all of their job is in the Capitol building. They need to have some time back in their home states staying in contact with their constituents.

[August]

Actually a do-nothing congress is sometimes better than the alternative:

In his book, which came out this week, Kengor focuses on a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts.

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200610/NAT20061020b.html

[bradclark1]

Actually a do-nothing congress is sometimes better than the alternative:

In his book, which came out this week, Kengor focuses on a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts.

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200610/NAT20061020b.html


One thing about State of Denial and this book is that Woodward backs up his claim with documents. This guy just makes some pretty far out there claims with nothing to back it up with.

[Sailor Steve]

Congress was originally supposed to be a part-time job. They do less damage that way.

Of course, Congressmen originally weren't supposed to be doing it for a living.

[August]

Actually a do-nothing congress is sometimes better than the alternative:

In his book, which came out this week, Kengor focuses on a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200610/NAT20061020b.html

One thing about State of Denial and this book is that Woodward backs up his claim with documents. This guy just makes some pretty far out there claims with nothing to back it up with.

So this KGB letter doesn't exist? Have you read the book?

[bradclark1]

Nope, because if there was proof your piece would have pointed that out.
Read this bit on Kengor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Kengor

[August]

Nope, because if there was proof your piece would have pointed that out.
Read this bit on Kengor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Kengor

So every article on Bob Woodward cites all his references? C'mon Brad.

[FIREWALL]

Come on... You don't really expect thse "shyster's" to work for a living do you? On 60 minutes it showed new lawers stiffing their student loans first thing. Just getting in practice to screw the tax payer as usual.

And we keep voteing in these political hacks election after election.:doh:

[bradclark1]

OK. Let me put it this way. The list that the white house put out claiming those actions didn't happen was nulled out by Woodward having copies of documents proving those events did occur.
A claim by an author that places Regan and Bush next to god has got to be called into question. If it's true he should show proof. If he can cite this letter where is it?

[August]

OK. Let me put it this way. The list that the white house put out claiming those actions didn't happen was nulled out be Woodward have copies of documents proving those events did occur.
A claim by an author that places Regan and Bush next to god has got to be called into question. If it's true he should show proof. If he can cite this letter where is it?

Maybe you have to read the book to find out.

[bradclark1]

Maybe you have to read the book to find out.

Thats ok :D I'm reading State of Denial, you can read this book.
May I also point you to past books by this author.

God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life (http://www.amazon.com/God-Ronald-Reagan-Spiritual-Life/dp/006057142X/sr=1-2/qid=1161623134/ref=sr_1_2/104-9431496-3355909?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Paul Kengor You can pick it up for $0.01 from Amazon
Or
God and George W. Bush: A Spiritual Life (http://www.amazon.com/God-George-W-Bush-Spiritual/dp/006077956X/sr=1-3/qid=1161623134/ref=sr_1_3/104-9431496-3355909?ie=UTF8&s=books)
You can get this one for $0.08

[August]

Maybe you have to read the book to find out.
Thats ok :D I'm reading State of Denial, you can read this book.
May I also point you to past books by this author.

God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life (http://www.amazon.com/God-Ronald-Reagan-Spiritual-Life/dp/006057142X/sr=1-2/qid=1161623134/ref=sr_1_2/104-9431496-3355909?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Paul Kengor You can pick it up for $0.01 from Amazon
Or
God and George W. Bush: A Spiritual Life (http://www.amazon.com/God-George-W-Bush-Spiritual/dp/006077956X/sr=1-3/qid=1161623134/ref=sr_1_3/104-9431496-3355909?ie=UTF8&s=books)
You can get this one for $0.08

That's ok, i don't need to. Being from Massachusetts i'm quite familiar with just how far Ted Kennedy will go. After all he did leave a young woman to drown in order to protect his image so playing footsie with the Soviets to make points against his political opposition is very believable.

[SUBMAN1]

A lot of stuff is broken and needs fixing. The Air Forces space program can use more funding for one. The Navy could use more subs. Even the Army should have not only its rifles updated, but their Helo's need to be addressed and upgraded. The DMCA needs revising and fixing. THe Patriot Act needs to be addressed. Homeland Security needs to be checked out and tweaked. Campaign spending limits needs to be addressed. Social Security needs to be looked at (Because there is no way I am getting mine and I don't want to pay into a system where I am supposed to receieve, but there is no way I will receive any benefits). I could go on and on and on.

After they address all these things, then I don't care how long a vacation they take, but to take vacations when there are many things broken is sickning to me. I'd vote every last one of them out of office if I could (with some minor exceptions) regardless if that means one party or the other gains control of Congress. They have a job to do and they are not doing it.

-S

[The Avon Lady]

Nope, because if there was proof your piece would have pointed that out.
From this HotAir entry (http://hotair.com/archives/2006/10/20/the-kennedy-kgb-letter/):

"I received a review copy of The Crusader on Wednesday. The book first references the Kennedy plan on page 206, and includes the complete Soviet memo, dated May 14, 1983, in the Appendix. It’s an eye opener.
If the proposal is recognized as worthy, then Kennedy and his friends will bring about suitable steps to have representatives of the largest television companies in the USA contact Y. V. Andropov for an invitation to Moscow for the interview. Specifically, the board of directors of ABC, Elton Raul and the television columnists Walter Cronkite or Barbara Walters could visit Moscow. The senator underlined the importance that this initiative should be seen as coming from the American side.
Just, not the senator himself. Because collaborating with the leadership of a foreign state to unseat an American president, by whatever means, could be seen by Americans as treasonous. No fingerprints, that’s the rule. Who knew Reagan would win and then defeat the USSR, so this document could see the light of day?

The Kennedy KGB memo runs about four pages. If there’s an honest liberal left in the country, it would be nice to have their take on this revelation.

Update: I should clear up a misconception that’s making the rounds, and that’s the authorship of the memo. Ted Kennedy didn’t write the memo. The memo’s author is V. Chebrikov, head of the Committee on State Security of the USSR–the KGB. It seems to have been written as an after-action in response to a meeting with former Sen. John V. Tunney. Tunney had been sent to the USSR to propose the strategy on Kennedy’s behalf to Andropov. The timing of the meeting isn’t immediately clear from the memo, but if the meeting took place it was most likely in late April or early May 1983.

I think the next step here is to nail down the authenticity of the memo. If it’s real, then the story is obviously very significant. If it’s not real, there’s no story here at all."

[bradclark1]

I think the next step here is to nail down the authenticity of the memo. If it’s real, then the story is obviously very significant. If it’s not real, there’s no story here at all."
Yep. If it's true he should be burned at the stake. The news should be interesting for the next week or two.

But take note of this part of a review from his Bush book:
My tolerance ended on page 210 when there was a paragraph implying that Saddam Hussein was involved in the events of September 11. Before you jump at me and talk about the 'atmosphere' of support that was in Iraq for the terrorists and for Al Qaida, that's not even what Kengor is writing about. He's basically saying that Saddam was about as much involved as you can get, shy from flying one of the planes himself. And that is just false.

[The Avon Lady]

Yep. If it's true he should be burned at the stake.
Good thing Bush didn't sign the Kyoto Agreement. :p

[bradclark1]

Took a minute AL, but I got it. :D

[Yahoshua]

Perhaps one way to help reduce this problem is to make congressmen and politicians at large a non-income job.

You serve the people for free, in return you get food, bed, and a free-taxi ride for your convienence.

You pay for your own elections with party money, not our tax-dollars.

Then make it a full-time job where every congressman is required to read what they'll be voting on.

This makes it a very undesirable job, and it also filters out the greedy ones or those who want to serve special interests.

[SUBMAN1]

Yep. If it's true he should be burned at the stake. Good thing Bush didn't sign the Kyoto Agreement. :p

Yeah - that would warm up the world a bit if Kennedy is calle dto the carpet on this! :D

[SUBMAN1]

Perhaps one way to help reduce this problem is to make congressmen and politicians at large a non-income job.

You serve the people for free, in return you get food, bed, and a free-taxi ride for your convienence.

You pay for your own elections with party money, not our tax-dollars.

Then make it a full-time job where every congressman is required to read what they'll be voting on.

This makes it a very undesirable job, and it also filters out the greedy ones or those who want to serve special interests.

Our representatives should be paid a decent salary - that is not the issue. ALl of this wouldn't be an issue if campaign spending limits were imposed. Then people would have an equal chance to get in, and you would have more choice. Right now, the guy with the biggest bank account is guranteed to pull the party vote. The less financed have no chance.

-S

[August]

Perhaps one way to help reduce this problem is to make congressmen and politicians at large a non-income job.

You serve the people for free, in return you get food, bed, and a free-taxi ride for your convienence.

What about their wives and children? Shall we put them in shelters for the duration of their term, or do we limit our pols to the independantly wealthy?

You pay for your own elections with party money, not our tax-dollars.

Thats how they do it now. Their annual pay wouldn't fund a single 30 second spot on TV primetime let alone an entire campaigns worth. I agree with you regarding matching funds though.

Then make it a full-time job where every congressman is required to read what they'll be voting on.

That will work only if they stop using the "Skybird method" of making bills and reports so long and detailed that they fill several boxes and need a truck to haul it around. It only takes a fragment of a sentence to hide a "gotcha". Right now they have staffers employed to pour over these tomes but i'd certainly prefer brevity since i don't have that same resource.

This makes it a very undesirable job, and it also filters out the greedy ones or those who want to serve special interests.

None of your suggestions would filter out the greedy or slaves to special interests.



I still like my wifes idea that every pol should by law be required to wear the logo of anyone who has donated to their campaign. They might end up looking like NASCAR drivers but at least we'd know who they are beholding to...

[The Avon Lady]

You serve the people for free, in return you get food, bed, and a free-taxi ride for your convienence.

What about their wives and children? Shall we put them in shelters for the duration of their term, or do we limit our pols to the independantly wealthy?
Pass a law allowing only eunuchs to run for political office. :hmm:

[August]

You serve the people for free, in return you get food, bed, and a free-taxi ride for your convienence.
What about their wives and children? Shall we put them in shelters for the duration of their term, or do we limit our pols to the independantly wealthy? Pass a law allowing only eunuchs to run for political office. :hmm:

Hmmm. They could get the operation done at the super secret Bush Paraguayan eunuch ranch...

[Takeda Shingen]

The article leaves me conflicted. On the one hand we as citizens are usually better off when congress does nothing. Many laws are useless, knee jerk reactions thought up for political gain and only help a very few people and cause trouble for others.

On the other hand these people are being over compensated. professional politicians who seem to want little more than spend my money, give themselves raises, and live the life of a celebrity.

Government employees (congress included) have forgotten that they work for us not the other way around.

For once, we agree. I would go further and say the same not only for Congress, but the federal government at large. We live in a system of inequality. Legislation and judicial action to remedy the inequality only shifts it to a new set of citizens. All the while, real problems go ignored until needed to assure re-election. All the while, the minimum wage is left to rot while the politicians, many of whom are already millionaires, vote themselves a pay raise. It sickens me.

You are right: They have forgotten who's taxes pay that salary.

[Yahoshua]

Well that was a short-lived ideal. :cry:

[Ducimus]

Hopefully this thread will pass censorship.:hmm:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1955256&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Everything thats been going on and bills needing to be voted on and these scum work 100 days or less over a year!!!
This isn't a thing that can be placed squarely on the republicans shoulders. All democrat's would of had to do is raise a little hell to bring peoples attention to it and it would have forced them to do their jobs but they must like making $165,000 + a year for working part time too.

What a cesspool! :x :nope:


Don't forget that they also voted to raise their own pay, while ignoring the minimum wage for the common person.

[The Avon Lady]

Yep. If it's true he should be burned at the stake. Good thing Bush didn't sign the Kyoto Agreement. :p
Yeah - that would warm up the world a bit if Kennedy is calle dto the carpet on this! :D
Update on Kennedy (http://hotair.com/archives/2006/10/25/audio-the-kennedy-kgb-connection/).

[waste gate]

Poll: Majority believes government doing too much.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/27/poll.government/index.html

[Ducimus]

Poll: Majority believes government doing too much.


Didn't click the link, im just gonna hazzard a guess its because of Iraq, and the 1984ish big brother legislation thats being passed, coupled with our current presidents amazing ability to sidestep the law.

[waste gate]

Poll: Majority believes government doing too much.


Didn't click the link, im just gonna hazzard a guess its because of Iraq, and the 1984ish big brother legislation thats being passed, coupled with our current presidents amazing ability to sidestep the law.

If you had bothered to take a look you'd have found this.


Queried about their views on the role of government, 54 percent of the 1,013 adults polled said they thought it was trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses

[Ducimus]

You know i can make speculation all day. How's this. Bush is passing too much by the Do nothing congress, and hence is getting away with / passing stuff he otherwise wouldn't have.

In otherwords there's nothing you can present that would alter my opinion of the current administration or congress.

[waste gate]

You know i can make speculation all day. How's this. Bush is passing too much by the Do nothing congress, and hence is getting away with / passing stuff he otherwise wouldn't have.

In otherwords there's nothing you can present that would alter my opinion of the current administration or congress.

I wasn't trying to alter your opinion. I was posting what is at issue in this thread.
Too bad you judged the post without reading it. If you really want to debate the issue please donnot pre-judge the post. If you only want to disagree with a poster whom you deem as being against your opinion you are behaving no better than those whom you claim to disagree with on the subject.

[Ducimus]

I interppreted your post as a pro bush, pro goverment post. It was defending them. I responded as such.

[waste gate]

I interppreted your post as a pro bush, pro goverment post. It was defending them. I responded as such.

Ya see I didn't see it that way. I saw it as too much gov't in everyones lives, and no more. I admit, it wasn't anti-Bush but that doesn't make it pro-Bush does it?

I thought coming from CNN it was neutral visa vis progressives.

[Ducimus]

You know, im not sure what to think of CNN these days. Unbiased news source it most certaintly is not. Media reporting in the US is fishy no matter where you go. Ive always thought that the goverment or special intrest group has a backdoor into them to influence what they report and how. For instance, bird flu. I'll bet it's still as much of a threat now, as they were saying a few months ago when public awarness was raised about it. Just because the news isnt reporting on it, doesn't mean the problem went away. As the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind".

[waste gate]

You know, im not sure what to think of CNN these days. Unbiased news source it most certaintly is not. Media reporting in the US is fishy no matter where you go. Ive always thought that the goverment or special intrest group has a backdoor into them to influence what they report and how. For instance, bird flu. I'll bet it's still as much of a threat now, as they were saying a few months ago when public awarness was raised about it. Just because the news isnt reporting on it, doesn't mean the problem went away. As the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind".

Can you do me a favor and look at my post about BookTV?
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=100245
I hadn't heard this before. I looked on the web and only Mr. Ritter has said this. What is your opinion and are there any other sources. Thanx

[Ishmael]

My solution is to turn it into a combination of jury duty or National Guard Service. I would abolish elective offices altogether and randomly select National offices by computer through IRS tax rolls. No Taxation without representation, no representation without taxation. All randomly selected office holders in the legislative and executive branches would be chosen according to existing constitutional requirements. Those chosen would take a leave of absence from their regular employment with the return to that employment guaranteed by law. Each citizen chosen would serve one term of office for two, four or six years and then return to their regular life. This would counteract the corruptive nature of money and parties in politics and give the nation actual representative government.

[Yahoshua]

In other words put a computer in control..........what about the programmer? :hmm: