The Corruption Of Congress

It is evident the past few months and even past few years, that the corruption of our congress has spun out of control. I think this message I am writing today is very important to talk about especially during this holiday season because people ought to know the truth. When so many struggle, there are those that are filled with greed.

"This is--this town has become very corrupt. There's no doubt about it. And we need lobbying reform. We need to have some reform of lobbying. But the system here, where so much is done in the way of policy and money, in appropriations bills where line items are put in in secret, which nobody knows about or sees until after they're voted on, is the problem." Senator John McCain on Meet The Press 12/4/05


The president's p.r. push on job numbers may test the modern adage that "It's the economy, stupid." This week, it just may not be. The death toll in Iraq climbs daily. Corruption investigations are metastasizing on the Hill. TIME magazine 12/5/05


“Something needs to be done, but our representatives in Congress are more concerned with stopping those corruption investiga-tions than helping people with limited incomes like us,” Claire says. Voices For Working Families Action Fund 12/5/05

"These distinctions don't really touch on what's corrupt here, which is simply the ability of money to give some people more influence than others over the course of a democracy where, civically if not economically, we are all supposed to be equal" Michael Kinsley, Daily Journal Missippi, 12/5/05

"There is no ethics enforcement in Congress today, and it's inexcusable," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a conservative monitor of government ethics.

"No matter what level of corruption the members of Congress engage in, the ethics committees do nothing," agreed Melanie Sloan, executive director of the liberal-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "It's a national embarrassment."

• The Justice Department is investigating former uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whose partner pleaded guilty last month to charges that he conspired to bribe an unidentified congressman. That investigation could splatter other lawmakers, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., and Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio. All four deny any wrongdoing.

• DeLay is under indictment in Texas on charges of conspiracy to evade campaign-finance laws. He's fighting the charge, saying it's politically motivated.

• The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department are investigating Senate Republican leader Bill Frist's sale of stock in HCA Inc., a hospital chain that his family founded, shortly before its stock price plunged. Frist, of Tennessee, says he did nothing improper and is cooperating.

• The "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) Is going to be facing some amount of time in jail for pleading guilty to accepting $2.4 million in bribes, including a Rolls-Royce and a $7,200 antique Louis-Philippe commode.

This must end somewhere, people ought to be angry, this is your tax dollars at work. Are you proud of what your elected officials are doing? This is not a democracy, where is our freedom? How can people accept the status quo? Who can people never do anything about this?

You can, the establishment has made us feel we are powerless. We are not.

They are, and we can show them. Vote them out of office, show the pundits the impossible. Show them polling data means nothing. Show them that media influence means nothing. Show them that they don't decide policy, they don't decide laws. We do, we put them there.

I will continue to do everything in my power to bring truth and integrity back to our government. I am not a politican, I am not wealthy, I am not a celebrity. But I have a dream for this country, a dream we all share, we can't acomlsh our dreams alone.

We can accomplish everything together, join me. Keep fighting, keep speaking, keep voting.

It's never too late to fight for freedom, for fear slows us, but obligation binds us.

Full Speed Ahead Comrades

There is so much going on today in global and American politics. A few things are looking pretty concrete. The GOP's approval numbers are getting worse, it's harder for the president to convince others of his message, and finally there is no viable republican presidential candidate.

Most of all, all of this is creating caution among republicans as they approach the year of 2006. In many elections even republican incumbents are having trouble garnering over 50% of support. I am more optimistic than pollsters and pundits and say that I think the democrats have a real chance of taking back congress and especially the senate.

I will rank the most likely of Democratic Senate victories in 2006:

PA- Bob Casey Jr. - Very Likely
OH - Paul Hackett - Very Likely
TN- Harry Ford Jr. - Likely
NV - Jack Carter - Likely
AZ- Jim Pederson - Likely
RI - Matt Brown - Likely
MT - John Tester - Likely
UT - Pete Ashdown - Probable
TX - Barbara Ann Radnofsky - Probable
ME - Eric Mehnert - Probable

Don't forget about VT where there will be an independent replacing an independent which is a vote usually for the democrats on the senate floor.

There are only 6 major presidential prospects in 2008 and they are all democrats. I just don't think other than John McCain the GOP has any chance of holding on to the presidency. The Democrats are composed of 3 sitting Senators, 2 Governors, and one Retired military general.

Senator Hillary Clinton
Senator John Kerry
Senator Evan Bayh
Governor Mark Warner
Governor Tom Vilsack
General Wesley Clark



You decide the ticket.

The Battle Has Just Begun

So It Begins..

I know that Democrats are enthusiastic even ecstatic, but we are still angry. We are still upset with the direction this country is going, we are still upset with the condition of our republic.

I gets me worked up reading this morning on the Associated Press not only the victories in the east coast but back in my home state of California where Democrats and Independents were chanting "sweep, sweep, sweep".

It has become apparent the Grand Old Party doesn't know who they were messing with. I am not saying it's going to be easy. Obviously it isn't they are going to use the same tactics that have carried them this far. The lies, the money, the deception.

I think the woke up a sleeping giant. I think the Democrats have been handed enough losses and have decided enough is enough. But, this isn't about them it's about the constituents. The people have elected these people to power. It isn't about loyalty to a certain party anymore, it's about loyalty to the people.

As I saw the election returns come in last night, I saw Sean Hannity attempt to downplay these victories. I know that republicans will attempt to do this. I know the governor's in Virginia and New Jersey were in Democratic hands and remained there.

There missing a few key points, the people conintue to feel that the Democratic Party has a better vision of how our country should move forward. The second point is that people have simply lost confidence in republican leadership.

They just better hope people in this country stay at home in 2006, because it's going to get messy. I think the Democrats are going to make significant gains. Democracy is about balance not silence I think some of them are forgotten about that. I hope they gain valuable lessons because it may take a long time for them to recover from this.

God, the military, and our country doesn't not belong to any single party.....

And it's time we get out there and show people why.