could you support a bi-partisan grassroots effort to vote OUT-

[LiberallyInclined]

every current sitting member of congress in 2006?
that doesn't mean every seat changing party hands- the first step would be serious primary challenges for each congressperson.

the 'founding fathers' (that the right likes to wield as if they were their private property) never intended for there to be career representatives of the people- they envisioned elected citizen-politicians- farmers, craftsmen, etc. who would take their turn at representing their respective constituencies, and then return to their chosen trade. they didn't worry about term limits- they probably didn't envision a need for them.

It's long past time that we the people on both sides of the aisle, remind our representatives who they were elected, not bribed to represent.

if it were an honest-to-goodness bi-partisan grassroots effort- would you participate?

[villager]

1. have long wondered why we, as a people, haven't done this

so: yes. If it was legit.

[demnan]

2. No

I think we would be apt to lose what edge we have with the experienced Congress critters we have. I don't trust people not to be more stupid than they were 15 or 20 years ago.

[Bridget Burke]

3. No.

My rep is Sheila Jackson Lee. She's not perfect but she's a fighter.

Of course, the Founding Fathers would not have allowed a black woman in Congress at all.

[cry baby]

4. No, because people like Conyers, Kerry, Boxer, etc...

will get caught in that net. They are fighting for progressive values. I would definitely work to replace many, but I would be more selective. If you work FOR the ones that push progressive issues and against ones that don't (even dems), that will give even more of a strong message.

I really think we need to get the corporate appeasers OUT.

[LiberallyInclined]

7. both sides would lose entrenched players-

the point would be to defeat them in the primaries with like-minded candidates.

[cry baby]

11. Just can't work against someone that is representing

my interests as well as working and sticking their neck out for the progressive issues. I don't want to punish them - I want to reward them - and punish the others that don't represent me.

[LiberallyInclined]

14. that's why it would never work-

too many people are too happy with the status quo.

[cry baby]

19. OK, just because I happen to like a few progressive dems in

congress doesn't mean that I want the status quo. Haven't you read any of my posts?

Not everything is black or white...there are shades of gray.

[cry baby]

12. Also, just a thought...

if we replace almost everyone and leave the progressive heroes, they will rule the congress with their experience and tenure. that will make them even stronger and that is a good thing for the left.

[LiberallyInclined]

15. and on the right-

they'll want to replace everyone except their conservative heroes...so the status quo wins yet again.

yay.

[cry baby]

17. Since this is a hypothetical, I am not going to argue, especially

since I agree with most of what you say.

[ewagner]

5. A couple of considerations

to make:

first, there are some really good Democratic Congress Critters out there and we would in a sense be throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Second, if the entire congress was thrown out at one time, then we would be left with the staff as being the only experienced people. It might lead to tyranny by staff who are not elected but hold/control all the power......

some things to consider.....

[LiberallyInclined]

8. lack of experience and continuity would be the fly in the ointment...

but with retention rates of around 98%- something is seriously wromg, and something dramatic NEEDS to be done.

[forgethell]

6. I think it is

a excellent idea. But we also need a plan to prevent the new people from turning into the old ones. Term limits of some sort.

My own idea is that once a person has completed the entire term limit in one office like Senator, Congressman, even President, he should be required to spend 2 years as a private citizen, living under the laws & conditions he has made before returning to public office on any level. Then he would be eligible to run for any office, including his previous one.

[The White Tree]

9. An interesting question

I agree that the Founding Fathers never envisioned career politicians per se, but it seems they developed shortly after and have been with us ever since.

Not sure voting people out would be a good alternative. I'd rather see a viable third - independent party be formed to check the other 2 parties. Our Government was created as a 3 branch system to ensure checks and balances on any one branch. However it seems to have devolved into, more or less, a 2 party system wherein our parties seem most focused on thwarting the efforts of the other party.

However, at the bottom of it all is really just a cesspool of money that seems to influence just about everyone, particularly those in power. I'm not sure this would do anything but shake it up so that it'd be harder to keep track of where all the money was going.

[JRob]

13. No Corporate money, viable 3rd or even 4th party

I agree that the Democrats and Republicans are protecting "their" turf and undermining any possibility of legitimate alternative effective representation for the American people. They don't want to share the Corporate pie...

Get the BIG money out of politics and maybe we'll attract real socially minded people to mainstream offices.

Corporations control the mainstream media, most of the Government and are quickly working on reeling in the rest of the world.

[LiberallyInclined]

16. elections should be federally funded-

and the election cycle(from primary thru geneal election) needs to be shortened considerably

[cry baby]

18. Agree wholeheartedly!!!!!!! nt

[JRob]

10. YES - We need to send a message!

Obviously the system isn’t working.

Career politicians are going to pursue "Job Security" strategies. This serves the politician and costs the people.

If "we the people" are to change the direction of our country from Oligarchy to true Democracy we need to shake up the system.

Maybe part (or all) of the Congress should be like Jury Duty where Dems and Repubs pick form a pool of registered votes and that the parties are equally represented, no majorities.