What exactly is your Contract with America

[glatt]

I've heard that quote before. Did Albert actually say it? He was a smart guy in physics, but he was no expert in mental illness.

I would call that foolish, but not insane.

[Flint]

Many of the Google hits of that quote attribute it to Ben Franklin, so I have no idea really.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Part of the strategy of those mud-slinging political ads, is to turn some of the voters off completely. It's so much easier without all those silly votes to tally.

[Griff]

We got a flyer in the mail smearing Carney (Rep Sherwoods opponent) as a *shudder* LIBERAL. Some stuff about high taxes as well. I wonder if the term is loosing its negative vibe with the voters?

[richlevy]

This is a good article summarizing the overall problem.

Authors describe shambles of Congressional system

Two of the most knowledgeable congressional scholars are Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution and Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute. Their new book is "The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track." They recently answered questions about their findings and views.

Q Is the current Congress demonstrably more partisan than those in the past? Why does it matter?

MANN: Partisanship particularly increased after the 1994 elections and then the appearance of the first unified Republican government since the 1950s. Now it is tribal warfare. The consequences are deadly serious. Party and ideology routinely trump institutional interests and responsibilities. Regular order -- the set of rules, norms and traditions designed to ensure a fair and transparent process -- was the first casualty. The results: No serious deliberation. No meaningful oversight of the executive. A culture of corruption. And grievously flawed policy formulation and implementation.

BTW, the Brookings Institute might be described as liberal, but the American Enterprise Institute isn't and is credited with giving Bush economic advice, most of which he apparently ignored.

Q Don't voters deserve some blame -- maybe a lot -- for Congress' shortcomings? Do we get the government we deserve?

ORNSTEIN: Sure, voters -- and even more, nonvoters -- deserve some of the blame. The low turnout we get exaggerates the power of the ideological activists who do turn out, skewing the system away from the middle.
But voters do not create the system that shapes the districts into noncompetitive ones, nor do they play a meaningful role in recruiting the candidates we get. ... And we cannot expect voters to pay close attention to the ins and outs of the legislative process, until some crisis demands it.
It is the voters' surrogates, including the press, who have to alert them when something is seriously wrong. But ultimately, only a credible threat that the public is prepared to throw the rascals out will change the ways in which politicians in Washington operate.

[xoxoxoBruce]

It is the voters' surrogates, including the press, who have to alert them when something is seriously wrong. But ultimately, only a credible threat that the public is prepared to throw the rascals out will change the ways in which politicians in Washington operate.

Write that on every vacant fence and wall in the country!
To those that say, it doesn't matter, the candidates they give us will be just as bad when they get in office, no.

1- Get involved with picking the candidates....not just voting in the primary, but getting involved with the picking.

2- If you're lazy like me, just vote them out after one term....and the next one if necessary. It won't take that long for them to realize, if they want to go back they better at least try to do what their constituants want while they are there.

I know, I know....they are all bought and paid for by Big (fill in the blank) Money. Why? How? They buy them by providing campaign money.... all those TV ads and crap that fills your mailbox. But, if you were active and aware, those ads would just be a waste of money....they wouldn't work.
If you've taken part in the selection and help set the agenda for Joe, do you think those ads could make you vote for Bill? I don't think so.

WE, are America....unless we give it away.

What's that?..the alarm clock? I must have been dreaming.