I spoke with ninety members of the House and Senate about what's gone so wrong in Congress.

An interesting take on why our congress has become so dysfunctional:

"I didn't get elected to Congress to not get things done—most people here want to get things done. I didn't get elected to Congress to make meaningless speeches on C-SPAN and tell lies about people. I didn't get elected to Congress to scare the hell out of the country and drive the sides further apart. I didn't get elected to Congress because I love politics—I hate politics, to be perfectly honest, and if I didn't before I got here, I do now… ."



The man is very angry, about the way his life is going, about Washington, about some things he has found himself saying that he wishes he could take back—he got carried away, total herd mentality, just so juvenile. People in public life should take stuff back more often, apologize more, and correct course more—now that would be making a real statement, maybe even be a breath of fresh air for the public. But he would just be screwing himself, he goes on, because those guys at Heritage Action or Club for Growth or Americans for Prosperity or some other goddamn group with an Orwellian name that thrives off of division and exists to create conflict might primary him, drop $3 million on his head, and he would be dead. And the way his district is drawn, you can't ever be conservative enough. He could get up at one of his town halls and say that the president is a transvestite Muslim from Mars and get a standing ovation. He wants to do the right thing and make a public stand for greater decency and civility in public life. But he can't. Oh, in his own quiet way he does. He has many friends who happen to be Democrats. "No matter what it seems, we don't hate each other," he says. "We are civil, we try to get to know each other, and most of us work hard to find areas of agreement, things that we can make progress on. People are stunned when I tell them that, because from the outside it just looks so bad."

At the same time, it's worse than he thought it would be before he was elected, the congressman says. He's a Reagan Republican. Nobody drew more lines in the sand than Reagan, nobody was more of a partisan warrior, but Reagan didn't believe insane things about the opposition, and there wasn't this unconscionable amount of money in the system back then. "Bribery wasn't legal yet," he says.

source

Emphasis on bribery is mine!

Elections in a couple of weeks !!

The whole House and 1/3 of the Senate.

Wonder what will happen?



Does anybody really care these days?

a reply to: AlaskanDad

No one cares because we know they do nothing and mean nothing and live for nothing (Well vast majority anyways)

Im surprised they didnt say they dont get paid enough to "act"

We're voting for different flavors of the same powers that be, at this point.

Me? I'm writing in a vote for Walter White.

OH..Walter White or Donald Duck , does it really matter at this point ? Seems that the system is not broke and that is a shame . a reply to: ScientificRailgun

There is a reason why DC is now the most expensive place in the country to live ...

originally posted by: xuenchen
Elections in a couple of weeks !!

The whole House and 1/3 of the Senate.

Wonder what will happen?

Does anybody really care these days?

Yes. I will not be voting for the incumbent. This means, in my location, the incumbent still wins. But I hope the percentage of the win goes down as a statement (which here is actually meaningless to most people).

I am in the middle of Republican followers who blame everything on Obama, et al. No way the Republican leaders can be part of the problem.

originally posted by: xuenchen
Elections in a couple of weeks !!

The whole House and 1/3 of the Senate.

Wonder what will happen?

Does anybody really care these days?

Possibly because it doesn't matter. Money is not a Faithful Leader and everyone of those bastards is led by money.

Unfortunately short on time (will return) but I find it making me feel self-congratulatory... I have to keep that in check.

One of our esteemed members noted, in regards to the wolf-pac... the connection between this pac, and all others with the media.

The media: 5 owners... maybe 6... tops...

and our esteemed reporter quotes...,

"No matter what it seems, we don't hate each other. People are stunned when I tell them that, because from the outside it just looks so bad."

It's like their constituents universally are blind to the reality......

It's like a WWE production. It has been since the media became "the producers" of disseminating what "we" think.

Our society (whether that can be called "American" rightly, righteously, or neither) stands in significant peril - in my opinion - largely because a make-believe entity is portrayed by media as two separate "parties." There is a significant disconnect between reality, idealism, and political expedience. The very idea that either group is somehow "opposed" to the other is basely theatrical. Personalities are 'created,' propaganda is deployed, skulduggery ensues; but none of this has anything to do with the welfare of our nation at all. It can be about many things... but I suspect that by design, it wont have anything to do with the 'salvation' of our people from misery and woe.

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Does anyone have a total number of bills sent to the Senate and never brought to the floor by Harry Reid? Before I call them the do nothing Congress I want to make sure it's not because of a partisan effort on Harry Reid's part.

In August it was around 300 Source

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: AlaskanDad

Does anyone have a total number of bills sent to the Senate and never brought to the floor by Harry Reid? Before I call them the do nothing Congress I want to make sure it's not because of a partisan effort on Harry Reid's part.

In August it was around 300 Source

I don't quite follow where you are going with the Reid statement:

Are you saying its ok because Reid does it too?

Are you pointing out the system is broke with neither party functioning properly?

Or is there something I missed?

a reply to: AlaskanDad

That is a very good piece of solid journalism. I always thought the majority of congressmen and senators were there in order to get rich. If that article is true, and I have no reason to believe it's not, then it sheds a whole new light on things.

It's really sad to hear the people who make the laws say they want to change it but they cannot. Real cop out there. They make the laws. Give up the hard line party stance and fix it. Truth is they do not have the guts or care enough to fix it.

originally posted by: AlaskanDad

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: AlaskanDad

Does anyone have a total number of bills sent to the Senate and never brought to the floor by Harry Reid? Before I call them the do nothing Congress I want to make sure it's not because of a partisan effort on Harry Reid's part.

In August it was around 300 Source

I don't quite follow where you are going with the Reid statement:

Are you saying its ok because Reid does it too?

Are you pointing out the system is broke with neither party functioning properly?

Or is there something I missed?

Both parties are knuckleheaded and the system appears broken. But the lefts mantra is the "do nothing congress" when they have have been writing bills getting congressional votes for passage and the senate (Harry Reid) never brings them up for a vote.

By all accounts I have read partisanship is the worst it ever has been. There is blame to go around for sure. But I don't think it's fair to call them the "do nothing congress". The appear to be working but nothing is happening on the senate side of things.

I don't know AD something needs to change for sure.

MG

a reply to: ScientificRailgun
No way! I'm voting for Walter White too!

White/Pinkman 2016