Posts: 166
Threads: 14
Joined: May 2006
"
WASHINGTON - Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist who spawned a congressional corruption scandal, pleaded guilty Tuesday to three felonies and pledged to cooperate in a criminal probe edging closer to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay."
http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2006/01/03/296047.html
Anything that starts the process of tearing down the established DC power structure (I am including both "parties") is good, IMO. We need to throw all of these bums out and get people in there who will actually represent the people, and not money interests. And keep doing it, as the new ones get corrupted in turn, until the message finally gets across. (Like that is going to happen)
Posts: 5,498
Threads: 255
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
0
What this country needs is more unemployed politicians.
Cant remember who said this but how true it is.
Spock
Posts: 2,574
Threads: 216
Joined: Apr 2006
The need for money to run for office is at the root, Bryan, and until we have public financing of elections, so that ballot listings are based on your ability to convince X number of your fellow citizens to sign a petition to place you on the ballot we will see even those with good intentions compromising themselves to be elected. What we need to eliminate is the necessity of making promises to gain the money to run for office, and of keeping those promises to gain the money to be reelected.
Simply turning out the incumbents only allows an opening for new scum to rise to the top.
Posts: 16,592
Threads: 1,240
Joined: Mar 2013
I'll run with zero campaign $$ if somebody would arrange to finance the whole thing.
This would be an excellent prelude to my campaign for Dictator of the United States, and I would certainly remember, rather fondly, those who were helpful in providing the jet, hotel, food and staffing accomodations.
Posts: 2,574
Threads: 216
Joined: Apr 2006
If a high number of petition signatures were required, say 5,000 to run for senator, that would weed out the fringe candidates with no real support. Limiting campaigning to public access TV debates and candidate statements on the internet would eliminate the expense of jets, hotels, food and staff. If computer voting companies like Diebold would simply open up their code for inspection to ensure fairness we could make decisions on a more democratic basis through direct voting, eliminating at least some of the necessity for representatives, except as watchdogs for the system.
Posts: 362
Threads: 18
Joined: Jan 2007
Reputation:
0
Refurbvirgin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If a high number of petition signatures were
> required, say 5,000 to run for senator, that would
> weed out the fringe candidates with no real
> support.
No, I think Jimmy Poo could easily get 5,000 signatures.
Posts: 31,261
Threads: 2,348
Joined: Feb 2025
Marcos Malo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No, I think Jimmy Poo could easily get 5,000
> signatures.
>
If the local penitentiary allows signature gathering, sure, but if he has to rely on county inmates, it's iffy.
