A Waste of Political Capital

[candycorn]

Don't want to get in the middle of this. I think CandyCorn is just trying to telling to tell you that WITHOUT breaking up the duopoly control that the Dems/Reps have engineered to HIJACK the process for everything that goes on in Congress -- term limits wouldn't fix the problem of MOST members of Congress being just droids of the Party Bosses and the rules that they have created to concentrate the power in just FOUR of the Congressional members.

MAYBE --- you'd force out the Majority/Minority leadership SOONER (that would be great for everyone) with term limits but the parties would just appoint new masters. Then you get raw inexperienced tacticians that don't LEAD the other 531 almost irrelevant members of Congress.

I understand what Candy is saying. Candy thinks that term limits will not impact the money/benefits in campaigns/legislation etc.

Well, let me ask you…

If we got rid of term limits tomorrow; do you think the 15,000 registered lobbyists, the various PACs, and the special interests who are smart enough not to get roped into being defined as either will just go away?

If you do…that is your right. I think that you know that the 15,000 registered lobbyists, the various PACs, and the special interests will simply find a different way to wield influence.

More importantly, there is no incentive to change what benefits them. Candy wants the rules changed from the inside. Some committees are coveted and getting rid of them would change everything. Except..........there is no incentive here either. Why would the same four people change that lil' pecking order/reward system? Bottom line is maintain the status quo and a paternalistic leadership because fear of not having a paternalistic leadership via maintaining the status quo.

No.

What getting rid of the committee system will do…that is just the first most visible step..is allow a house or senate member to get outside of the pecking order that is assigned by “the same four people” as you put it. So you’re not a “back bencher” for 24 years. You’re able to influence policy (and presumably get re-elected) based on your votes, your testimony, your actions….because you can cast votes, submit testimony, and are more autonomous.

We should just kick rocks and say shucks a lot.
Don't hold any of them accountable for not reading legislation and continue to peddle outdated policy because it would be helpful in garnering support for the money behind legislation.

I think it’s foolish and a bit naive to think organized political money with a purpose will go away. Ironically, the big difference is that when I write a check to Jane Doe; D from Arizona, it is registered and monitored. I don’t have anything else to offer. Republic Waste (just to pick a company) has an office in Denver where they can hire Jane’s cousin….a subsidiary in Tampa that will have a nice comfy seat waiting for her when she is “term limited”.