Reply #108: Of course there's a problem and it's called "campaign financing."

[warren pease]

He's just dancing with thems that brung him. And that specifically excludes me and thee.

I keep writing and blathering about how campaign finance reform is the single lynchpin that's blocking complete, top to bottom reform of this entire banana republic-like corporatocracy.

Just watch these tortured, twisted, illogical Texas two-steps they do when trying to justify the concept that their Cadillac health care plans -- which will follow them and their extended families around for life -- are just too good for the peasantry.

But unless and until either a) MoveOn starts to flex its fund raising muscles to collect enough money to buy a few senators and a bakers dozen or so members of the house (a slim chance at best), or b) house and senate members (and their staffers) somehow all get "sanctified" and renounce their corporate employers in favor of doing the right thing for the people who elected them (no chance whatsoever)...

The peasantry -- which would be us -- is going to get the shitty end of the stick while our elite caste of corporate welfare queens whoosh by in their silent black limos, windows opaque against prying eyes, on their way to the local aerodrome where they'll board one of their finest executive toys, made by Lear or Gulfstream, and jet across "the pond" for another well-earned golfing vacation... this time touring Ireland and the Scottish coast.

It's windy over there and that comb-over is going to need a ton of axle grease to hold it in place, but what the hell...

Now does Harry still seem like a failure to anyone? Is he somehow derelict in his duties? You just need to understand which "people" get his full attention when he's figuring out how to run the senate for the common good "... of the people, by the people (and) for the people..."

Those people ain't us and never will be until we either buy them ourselves or demand that politicians and their sugar daddies part company for good.

And since they can't be trusted to take those steps without a huge kick in the ass pointing them in the right direction, we must learn to vote incumbents out each and every time one of these corporate tools comes up for reelection.

You can probably count the exceptions on both hands and feet with a couple of toes left over. They do not have names like Reid, Pelosi, Nelson (either one), Clinton, Emanuel, Hoyer, Landrieu, Harman, Carper, Baucus or (unfortunately) Obama or Biden. Nor do they hide behind that little "d" after their names and state IDs.

They do have names like Lee, Wexler, Kucinich, Waters, Sanders, Kennedy (maybe), Woolsey, Stark, Farr and (I hope) at least a dozen more.

And they sure as hell never, ever have a little "r" following them around like some code letter standing for "revolting" or "repugnant" or "reactionary." Or maybe a simple "rotten rat bastard" sums it all up nicely.


sf


(the former "Warren Pease" now writing as Steven Franklin because, well..., that's like sorta two-thirds of my real name. Close enough fer gummint work.)