"I have no idea if DeLay has technically broken the law. What interests me is how this moderate, evenly divided nation came to be ruled on at least one side of Capitol Hill by a zealot. This is a man who calls the Environmental Protection Agency "the Gestapo of government" and favors repealing the Clean Air Act because "it's never been proven that air toxins are hazardous to people"; who insists repeatedly that judges on the other side of issues "need to be intimidated" and rejects the idea of a separation of church and state; who claims there are no parents trying to raise families on the minimum wage—that "fortunately, such families do not exist" (at least Newt Gingrich was intrigued by the challenges of poverty); who once said: "A woman can't take care of the family. It takes a man to provide structure." I could go on all day. Congress has always had its share of extremists. But the DeLay era is the first time the fringe has ever been in charge."

And how the fringe is in charge - from the White House downward. When I saw DeLay ranting and raving on Fox News about how this was "dirty, shameful political witch-hunts", I just sat there incredulous at how ANYONE could even listen to this guy and believe the spew that comes out of his mouth. His entire history is based on selling this country out to the highest bidder, and walking all over the back of every single middle class person in this country in order to satisfy his lust for power.

AND THEN... And then he has the audacity to use religion and invoke God's name? Has any action undertaken by him or the Republicans in office been truly "Christian"? They are simply invoking religion to get the dumb masses to vote for them because they ensure the public that they really have a "moral agenda" in mind.

I couldn't give a shit about abortion or saying "God" in school. What I care about is our supposed democracy lying in shambles because big business has been allowed to put people in the highest reaches of power who serve them. We are a corporate oligarchy. Congress answers not to us - but to lobbyists who give them the most money. We vote - but for what? We vote on what they say they will do for us, and what they tell us is important (abortion, gays, guns, god).

It's a huge sham. The issues are a smokescreen.

"...The rumor was that after the GOP took control of the House that year, DeLay had begun keeping a little black book with the names of Washington lobbyists who wanted to come see him. If the lobbyists were not Republicans and contributors to his power base, they didn't get into "the people's House." DeLay not only confirmed the story, he showed me the book. His time was limited, DeLay explained with a genial smile. Why should he open his door to people who were not on the team?"

This article sums up the end game perfectly:

"The only way to get rid of the termites eating away the people's House is to stamp them out at the next election."

And stamp them out of existence we must:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9557669/site/newsweek/

 
   

 


 
 
tootboy on
Re: A "House of Shame"
i'm willing to help throw out the Republicans if you help overthrow the Democrats.

of course, the problem is that no matter whom we bring in as replacements, sooner or later they will become just like them.


In 1994 the Republican Revolution came in full of promise, and a lot of it was delivered.  Now in 2005, I want a new revolution because these Republicans act just like the Democrats they replaced.

champy on
Re: A "House of Shame"
I'd overthrow them all. I have yet to see a politician in office that isn't fully in the pocket of big business. You're right - they become exactly like each other once they replace the other group. Problem is, it seems to be getting a lot worse. I see corporate funding of our campaigns as a major problem. But even if we somehow were to do away with that, my guess is they corporations would still find some way, some loophole that would influence policy making to a high degree.

I have no problem with corporations making their voices heard in government - but I have a problem when they do it at our expense, and regular people like you and I cannot even think of getting the same amount of time to have our concerns addressed as corporate buddies of politicians can.

tootboy on
Re: A "House of Shame"
there are power makers everywhere and have always been there.

you think it's worse now, but really IS it?

All the people that signed the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence were wealthy...weren't they?


Almost all the members of Congress today are millionaires. 

Elections are expensive.  Look at Corzine of New Jersey.  He buys his way in. 

That's his right of course but he does have a natural advantage.


Corporations, lobbyists, activists all have power in government.  Is there any different between now and when JP Morgan ruled Congress?


It takes a real person not to pander to corporations.  Unfortunately, that person does not win elections.

ravager on
Re: A "House of Shame"
Yeah, but there was more competition in Colonial America. Capitalism was actually capitalism. Was George Washington a huge landowner because he married a wealthy Martha? (George had 5,000 acres, but Martha had an adjoining 12,000 from HER previous marriage to a guy 20  years her senior who died the year prior to meeting GW at a party). Sure,  you could go to Mount Vernon for your tobacco, but you could also go down the block to the next landowner. The signers of the declaration were certainly wealthy landowners, but they didn't have to raise large sums of money to campaign. They knew the people. As the electorate grew, the need to campaign increased.

Suddenly democracy has a chance and where does it veer in the 1970s and 1980s? To corporate lobbyists.

I don't want a revolution; I want divided government. The Republicans in the 90s got there by inciting the religious right. They were academics in the 60s and 50s when they preyed upon McCarthyism and learned they could beat the Dems at their own game of Security.

Give me divided government. Give me campaign finance laws like the one in Vermont going to the Supreme Court this year

But yeah. I'd agree with Champy though... it is getting worse. Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower... they certainly had ties to the industrial military complex, but it was voters that they cared about, and they were beholden to us. The corporate vampire? It sucks on anyone in power... but with divided government? Holy shit, democracy seems to work. People make compromises and the people have a fighting chance to get in edgewise and it costs the corporations twice as much money to get anything done. Give me divided government.

tootboy on
Re: A "House of Shame"
If you look at the history of the US (or any nation) the special interests always win.

The people that bankroll the economy (whether it's in the US, or in Communist China) have power.  That's the nature of the beast.

Certainly, you can't say that Truman or Eisenhower or Jefferson or Polk or whomever weren't beholden to anyone.  They certainly were.

JFK was beholden to the Unions (as the Democrats are still beholden to them)


Democracy doesn't work with a divided government if all the people in power are not looking out for the best interests of the people.  If the REpublicans and democrats act the same then that's all we get.

I appreciate your answer but you act like this is worst it's ever been.  Not true.

ravager on
Re: A "House of Shame"
Truman said "Congress represents 250,000 Americans. I represent the rest." Look at his decisions as president, and you might notice a trend.

tootboy on
Re: A "House of Shame"
Truman is not the norm.

But even he was beholden to the corporations and businesses.  So was the Congress of his time.

my point is that it is not any worse or better than it always has.

bardsinister on
Re: A "House of Shame"
DeLay is a fundie ideologue, but also a shameless corporatist.  He has been skating on the edge on some ethics issues, and I think when the information about all of these comes together, DeLay could well face a conviction.  Much depends on how much others are willing to lie and cover up for him. 
 
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