DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum GOOOH (Get Out Of Our House)

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Maybe, more importantly, if they suceed or fail they send a message to Washington that we recognize that they are failing us, that opposition is building and gaining momentum.

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If you'd like to serve, put your name in the lottery to be drawn at the beginning of each term. You'd make just as much as you did the previous year accounting for inflation. Once your term is up, you've served your country, thank you, have a nice life. Hopefully, you've left your mark.

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I'm sorry but that's an awful idea. Having just anybody in the house would be a joke. What is this, a FOX reality show?

Whether you like or dislike your Representative, the vast majority are much brighter than the average joe. While I may not agree with a lot of policies, I like having educated people in Congress. If we ever went to "whoever wants to be a member of Congress just sign up!" style of government The United States of America would be laughed out of existence.

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It's not like they are going to support just anybody.

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I think it is silly to assume these people in congress are so smart just because it makes you feel better to think that they are.

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Whether you like or dislike your Representative, the vast majority are much brighter than the average joe. While I may not agree with a lot of policies, I like having educated people in Congress. If we ever went to "whoever wants to be a member of Congress just sign up!" style of government The United States of America would be laughed out of existence.

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So your calling Barney Frank smart

and my oh my look how brilliant this bunch is

After researching public records, newspaper articles, civil court transcripts, and criminal records, Capitol Hill Blue discovered that:


* 29 members of Congress have been accused of spousal abuse.


* 7 have been arrested for fraud.


* 19 have been accused of writing bad checks.


* 117 have bankrupted at least two businesses.


* 3 have been arrested for assault.


* 71 have credit reports so bad they can't qualify for a
credit card.


* 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges.


* 8 have been arrested for shoplifting.


* 21 are current defendants in lawsuits.


* And in 1998 alone, 84 were stopped for drunk driving, but released after they claimed Congressional immunity.

Capitol Hill Blue did not list the names of all the individual members of Congress accused of the various crimes, but did note that some were "serial offenders" with extensive tracks records of fraud or violence.

For example, reported Capitol Hill Blue, Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL) has a "long, consistent record of deceit," including tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills, allegations of bribery, and numerous lawsuits against her. And Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) faces charges that he beat his wife, has a history of barroom brawls while mayor of Alexandria, and has publicly stated that he likes "to hit people."

"With a rap sheet like that, you have to wonder why Americans expect Congress to solve the problem of crime -- since Congress seems to be causing so much crime," said Dasbach. "In fact, if this study is correct, the best way to cut crime may be to lock up Congress and throw away the key."

And given the obvious economic incompetence of so many Senators and Representatives, you have to wonder why voters trust them with the federal budget, he said.

"Here are politicians who routinely bankrupt businesses, write bad checks, engage in fraudulent practices, and have bad credit," said Dasbach. "That could explain why the country is more than $5 trillion in debt, why federal programs are so wasteful, and
why taxes are always going up. Are these really the kind of economically illiterate people we want to trust with our money?" If nothing else, said Dasbach, the Capitol Hill Blue investigation may help puncture the myth that Senators and Representatives are somehow superior to ordinary Americans, or better equipped to solve the nation's problems. "By its very nature, politics tends to attract venal people who crave power, who want to control the lives of other people, and who think they are above the law," he noted. "This study makes that
point clear -- and illustrates that when it comes to politicians, the only thing worse than their voting records are their criminal
records."

http://www.ontheissues.org/AskMe/spousal_abuse.htm

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So your calling Barney Frank smart

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No. Re-read what I said. I said there is a strong correlation between education and intelligence. Which is true according to pretty much every study done on the subject.

Like I've said time and time and time again in this thread, all my responses have been in response to the lottery suggestion but apparently no one sees this.

I've also stated twice now that there needs to be reform in Congress, I just don't think the lottery is the correct way to do it.

In political science, we have a little thing we call "the incumbency advantage". In the Senate 88% of incumbents are re-elected while 96% of House incumbents are re-elected. This comes because the average person looks at Congress and says that they are corrupt but "my guy" is clean. This is why when I look at the 31% approval rating the Senate has all I do is laugh. The "average" American hates the establishment and votes the same people in time and time again and wonders why nothing ever changes.

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The "average" American hates the establishment and votes the same people in time and time again and wonders why nothing ever changes.

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Agreed

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The "average" American hates the establishment and votes the same people in time and time again and wonders why nothing ever changes.

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Agreed

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Or vote for change. And yet nothing changes.
And then all those happy voters are disapointed when they find the new scumbag politicians they voted into office are just as corrupt as the ones that were ousted.
The system has failed.

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ordinary people who haven't (yet) been corrupted by special interest groups.

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I didn't see that you put information about the qualifying exams, my apologies.

However, democracy dictates by the people for the people. I like to elect my officials. I believe that voting is the essense of democracy. Putting in a lottery seems like something that's out of a reality show to me.

Just keep in mind that only 50% of the public votes. If people participated in voting at a higher rate(80-90%) we would see a much different legislature provided that the people who vote took time to inform themselves.

As much as I hate those politicans who abuse their power, it is us who keep putting them into office. The situation we have currently can be blamed on no one but the American citizen. In the freest nation in the world, only 50% of people vote(most elections, especially local/regional don't approach the 50% mark).

My biggest issue with the lottery is that it takes power away from the people. While the system may be broken, it is only so because the average American citizen doesn't care enough to even attempt to fix it.

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However, democracy dictates by the people for the people.

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I like to elect my officials. I believe that voting is the essense of democracy.

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If people participated in voting at a higher rate(80-90%) we would see a much different legislature provided that the people who vote took time to inform themselves. ... The situation we have currently can be blamed on no one but the American citizen.

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I think the American people can share some of the blame, but I also hold the government responsible for allowing two parties to seize as much control over the election process (and therefore who gets elected) than is responsible. I doubt much would change even if 90% voted because the problem still stands that those that we are allowed to vote into office are controlled by two governing bodies. They say who we can and can't vote for. They hold down the third parties such that they have no hope of winning the election.

Am I in favor of a lottery system? Sure, I think it would solve two of the main problems that taint our political process. Does my idea need work? Sure, I don't know how much though as it will never come to fruition. Too many people are resistant to large scale change in matter's such as these, like those current incumbents in politics as well as some of the populace who would rather stay the course than fix it. But, this is an interesting thought exercise

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The problem IMO is that we always have two people running and NEITHER one is worth voting for.

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The problem IMO is that we always have two people running and NEITHER one is worth voting for.

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The solution to all the problems related to the Government are to just "not" vote, I haven't voted in 5 years and I will never vote, ever again "ALL" politicians are like used car salesman, they tell you what you want to hear to try and make the sale. Another way to help get rid of the corruption in the government is to get rid of businesses making contributions to political parties. Just my 2 cents

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