I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take any more

[Davef]

Remember the movie Network? Well Congress succeeded in becoming the most worthless branch of government in our history. These people are corrupt, ignorant, abusive, abrasive, snobs who, once elected to office, become committed to clogging up the arteries of our government. Their goal is not to work together in order to make our country great but, rather keep the two party system at odds with one another and make sure that the President hits a road block at every turn.

We have a system that does not recruit the best and brightest for service to America but, rather the wealthiest who can affort to buy these lifetime jobs. It's time to throw the bums out and change the way we pay the people who work for us. We need to have a base pay system with a hansome bonus system tied to actual accomplishments during the year that are easily measured. This way, the wealthy, privilaged, spoiled, opinionated, out of touch people would not waste their time running. However, the best and brightest would hear the call to service and pick up the banner. These people would truly represent us with our best interests at heart for they would not have been put on the special interest payroll.

They would be required to always seek bi-partisan solutions to our most pressing issues. They should also be required to meet with the President to hash out differences before they are allowed to go home. No more holding our country hostage because of their stupid games. In order to earn their pension, they must show a career of accomplishment. No more freebies just because you happened to win an election. You must have to earn the honor of your position every day.

Your goals must be our goals. We put you there to protect our best interestes. No more once I get in, the rest of my time in service will be filled with keeping my seat. No more hiding the jumper cables. We must be allowed to have our engine started. To the US Congress: you are not our pride an joy, you represent the worst our country has to offer.

 

[tjvh]

Remember the movie Network? Well Congress succeeded in becoming the most worthless branch of government in our history. These people are corrupt, ignorant, abusive, abrasive, snobs who, once elected to office, become committed to clogging up the arteries of our government. Their goal is not to work together in order to make our country great but, rather keep the two party system at odds with one another and make sure that the President hits a road block at every turn.

We have a system that does not recruit the best and brightest for service to America but, rather the wealthiest who can affort to buy these lifetime jobs. It's time to throw the bums out and change the way we pay the people who work for us. We need to have a base pay system with a hansome bonus system tied to actual accomplishments during the year that are easily measured. This way, the wealthy, privilaged, spoiled, opinionated, out of touch people would not waste their time running. However, the best and brightest would hear the call to service and pick up the banner. These people would truly represent us with our best interests at heart for they would not have been put on the special interest payroll.

They would be required to always seek bi-partisan solutions to our most pressing issues. They should also be required to meet with the President to hash out differences before they are allowed to go home. No more holding our country hostage because of their stupid games. In order to earn their pension, they must show a career of accomplishment. No more freebies just because you happened to win an election. You must have to earn the honor of your position every day.

Your goals must be our goals. We put you there to protect our best interestes. No more once I get in, the rest of my time in service will be filled with keeping my seat. No more hiding the jumper cables. We must be allowed to have our engine started. To the US Congress: you are not our pride an joy, you represent the worst our country has to offer.

Response to highlight above^: I wholeheartedly disagree... Bi-partisanship ends when people desire ideological change which goes against the principles on which this nation was Founded. Sorry... When the majority kicks your ideology to the curb, your ability to further your agenda gets kicked as well.

 

[Old Rocks]

LOL.

President Obama 332 Governor Romney 206

RealClearPolitics - 2012 Election Maps - State Changes

The Convention doesn't seem to be changing the numbers at all. Stayed pretty much the same since June.

 

[Old Rocks]

As Senator McConnel stated, the only purpose of the GOP at present is to see that President Obama does not get re-elected. If they have to drive the nation into a Depression to do that, they don't care.

 

[Meister]

LOL.

President Obama 332 Governor Romney 206

RealClearPolitics - 2012 Election Maps - State Changes

The Convention doesn't seem to be changing the numbers at all. Stayed pretty much the same since June.

Hmmmm, no toss up states, huh, Rox? That is damn funny, you need to take the best case scenario to prove your point.

 

[flacaltenn]

Davef ::

Welcome to the board... Hope you find it rewarding..

And although I share your frustration with the lack of principled leadership, I don't think we could incentivize "production" of better, more efficient governance. They don't NEED bonuses. They make their own out of stolen powers to meddle in the markets. And the people don't WANT bipartisian solutions that are less than efficient or effective. A bipartisian solution is like having a Vegetarian Thanksgiving. There's a lot of wasted money and effort and nobody's really thrilled at the stuff on the table.

For the most part -- the invisible hand of electorate tends to choose to BLOCK progress by voting in midterms to hobble the party in power. It's a learned reaction based on self-preservation and probably not even done conciously by most middle of the roaders.

The answer really is -- is to give politicians more shelter to DEFY their party leadership and not be squashed like a mosquito for resisting. This means lessening the power of the 2 major parties and PROMOTING 3rd party and sub-party organization.. The most purest of intentions soon mold over in DC once the politician meets their "leadership". They soon learn that those very few "leaders" are the real power, and the "voice of people" that brought them there --- means very little..

 

[PredFan]

Remember the movie Network? Well Congress succeeded in becoming the most worthless branch of government in our history.

By doing what? Methinks you are full of shit.

These people are corrupt, ignorant, abusive, abrasive, snobs who, once elected to office, become committed to clogging up the arteries of our government.

Well, the corrupt, ignorant, abusive and abrasive are the Democrats, if we vote them out then things will be better.

Their goal is not to work together in order to make our country great but, rather keep the two party system at odds with one another and make sure that the President hits a road block at every turn.

1. Good, Obama has no clue what he's doing and shouldn't be allowed to get anything passed.
2. The Congress has passed several bi-partisan bills only to have them killed in the Senate by Harry Reid.

We have a system that does not recruit the best and brightest for service to America but, rather the wealthiest who can affort to buy these lifetime jobs.

True.

It's time to throw the bums out and change the way we pay the people who work for us. We need to have a base pay system with a hansome bonus system tied to actual accomplishments during the year that are easily measured. This way, the wealthy, privilaged, spoiled, opinionated, out of touch people would not waste their time running. However, the best and brightest would hear the call to service and pick up the banner. These people would truly represent us with our best interests at heart for they would not have been put on the special interest payroll.

Dream on.

They would be required to always seek bi-partisan solutions to our most pressing issues. They should also be required to meet with the President to hash out differences before they are allowed to go home. No more holding our country hostage because of their stupid games. In order to earn their pension, they must show a career of accomplishment. No more freebies just because you happened to win an election. You must have to earn the honor of your position every day.

Again, you are dreaming if you think that any politician on either side of the isle is going to do this to themselves.

Your goals must be our goals. We put you there to protect our best interestes. No more once I get in, the rest of my time in service will be filled with keeping my seat. No more hiding the jumper cables. We must be allowed to have our engine started. To the US Congress: you are not our pride an joy, you represent the worst our country has to offer.

You'd have much more credibility if you included the Senate in that.

The government is much more scary when one party controls the whole thing. You can just sit there and watch our money evaporate.

 

[Flanders]

Remember the movie Network?

To Davef: I remember it well:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGIY5Vyj4YM&feature=player_embedded]I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take this anymore - YouTube[/ame]

Every time I see a preachy talking head on TV I think of this scene:

Arthur Jensen: You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I won't have it! Is that clear? You think you've merely stopped a business deal. That is not the case! The Arabs have taken billions of dollars out of this country, and now they must put it back! It is ebb and flow, tidal gravity! It is ecological balance! You are an old man who thinks in terms of nations and peoples. There are no nations. There are no peoples. There are no Russians. There are no Arabs. There are no third worlds. There is no West. There is only one holistic system of systems, one vast and immane, interwoven, interacting, multivariate, multinational dominion of dollars. Petro-dollars, electro-dollars, multi-dollars, reichmarks, rins, rubles, pounds, and shekels. It is the international system of currency which determines the totality of life on this planet. That is the natural order of things today. That is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today! And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature, and YOU... WILL... ATONE! Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get up on your little twenty-one inch screen and howl about America and democracy. There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today. What do you think the Russians talk about in their councils of state, Karl Marx? They get out their linear programming charts, statistical decision theories, minimax solutions, and compute the price-cost probabilities of their transactions and investments, just like we do. We no longer live in a world of nations and ideologies, Mr. Beale. The world is a college of corporations, inexorably determined by the immutable bylaws of business. The world is a business, Mr. Beale. It has been since man crawled out of the slime. And our children will live, Mr. Beale, to see that... perfect world... in which there's no war or famine, oppression or brutality. One vast and ecumenical holding company, for whom all men will work to serve a common profit, in which all men will hold a share of stock. All necessities provided, all anxieties tranquilized, all boredom amused. And I have chosen you, Mr. Beale, to preach this evangel.

Howard Beale: Why me?

Arthur Jensen: Because you’re on TV, dummy. Sixty million people watch you every night of the week, Monday through Friday.

Howard Beale: I have seen the face of God!

Arthur Jensen: You just might be right, Mr. Beale.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right...

... we need to fire the whole kit n' kaboodle of `em...

... let dem stand inna unemployment line...

... like dey make ever'body else do...

... dat oughta make `em sit up an' take notice."

 

[flacaltenn]

Actually Flanders... I might HATE ATT -- you might HATE EXXON. But having the world exist for free and open commerce is not a bad thing now is it?

I'm less threatened by ATT than by the UN or politicians in Iran.. That's for dam certain..

 

[Ernie S.]

Sometimes it is preferable that nothing get done. I certainly would prefer "nothing" to obamulous and the affordable care crap.If you want to incentivise Congress, cut their pay by 50% and give them a 100% bonus if they pass a balanced budget.

 

[bigrebnc1775]

Remember the movie Network?

To Davef: I remember it well:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGIY5Vyj4YM&feature=player_embedded]I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take this anymore - YouTube[/ame]

Every time I see a preachy talking head on TV I think of this scene:

Arthur Jensen: You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I won't have it! Is that clear? You think you've merely stopped a business deal. That is not the case! The Arabs have taken billions of dollars out of this country, and now they must put it back! It is ebb and flow, tidal gravity! It is ecological balance! You are an old man who thinks in terms of nations and peoples. There are no nations. There are no peoples. There are no Russians. There are no Arabs. There are no third worlds. There is no West. There is only one holistic system of systems, one vast and immane, interwoven, interacting, multivariate, multinational dominion of dollars. Petro-dollars, electro-dollars, multi-dollars, reichmarks, rins, rubles, pounds, and shekels. It is the international system of currency which determines the totality of life on this planet. That is the natural order of things today. That is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today! And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature, and YOU... WILL... ATONE! Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get up on your little twenty-one inch screen and howl about America and democracy. There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today. What do you think the Russians talk about in their councils of state, Karl Marx? They get out their linear programming charts, statistical decision theories, minimax solutions, and compute the price-cost probabilities of their transactions and investments, just like we do. We no longer live in a world of nations and ideologies, Mr. Beale. The world is a college of corporations, inexorably determined by the immutable bylaws of business. The world is a business, Mr. Beale. It has been since man crawled out of the slime. And our children will live, Mr. Beale, to see that... perfect world... in which there's no war or famine, oppression or brutality. One vast and ecumenical holding company, for whom all men will work to serve a common profit, in which all men will hold a share of stock. All necessities provided, all anxieties tranquilized, all boredom amused. And I have chosen you, Mr. Beale, to preach this evangel.

Howard Beale: Why me?

Arthur Jensen: Because you’re on TV, dummy. Sixty million people watch you every night of the week, Monday through Friday.

Howard Beale: I have seen the face of God!

Arthur Jensen: You just might be right, Mr. Beale.

I agree with the video

 

[Flanders]

Actually Flanders... I might HATE ATT -- you might HATE EXXON. But having the world exist for free and open commerce is not a bad thing now is it?

I'm less threatened by ATT than by the UN or politicians in Iran.. That's for dam certain..

To flacaltenn: Perhaps I wasn’t clear. I was trying to say that I prefer Arthur Jensen to preachy talking heads. I think bigrebnc1775 got it.

 

[Flanders]

I came across Arthur Jensen’s homily. Anyone following this thread might get a kick out of it:

Network (1976) - Ned Beatty - "The World is a Business" - YouTube

 

[Wolfmann]

Remember the movie Network? Well Congress succeeded in becoming the most worthless branch of government in our history. These people are corrupt, ignorant, abusive, abrasive, snobs who, once elected to office, become committed to clogging up the arteries of our government. Their goal is not to work together in order to make our country great but, rather keep the two party system at odds with one another and make sure that the President hits a road block at every turn.

We have a system that does not recruit the best and brightest for service to America but, rather the wealthiest who can affort to buy these lifetime jobs. It's time to throw the bums out and change the way we pay the people who work for us. We need to have a base pay system with a hansome bonus system tied to actual accomplishments during the year that are easily measured. This way, the wealthy, privilaged, spoiled, opinionated, out of touch people would not waste their time running. However, the best and brightest would hear the call to service and pick up the banner. These people would truly represent us with our best interests at heart for they would not have been put on the special interest payroll.

They would be required to always seek bi-partisan solutions to our most pressing issues. They should also be required to meet with the President to hash out differences before they are allowed to go home. No more holding our country hostage because of their stupid games. In order to earn their pension, they must show a career of accomplishment. No more freebies just because you happened to win an election. You must have to earn the honor of your position every day.

Your goals must be our goals. We put you there to protect our best interestes. No more once I get in, the rest of my time in service will be filled with keeping my seat. No more hiding the jumper cables. We must be allowed to have our engine started. To the US Congress: you are not our pride an joy, you represent the worst our country has to offer.

I agree that the two party system is broke but not that they need more money. What we need to do is get some guts and do something (both sides). Although this may seem alittle off, why not require political candidates to take a test to see what they actually know about their job. Most of us have to its called a job interview. Let a neutral party like the League of Women Voters adminiister it. Then all candidates who pass the test would have to sign a contract (or something like it) that says that they understand what their job is and they agree to do it or be impeached. As I said alittle off but I fear what is going to happen if this continues on both sides of the isle.

 

[tjvh]

As Senator McConnel stated, the only purpose of the GOP at present is to see that President Obama does not get re-elected. If they have to drive the nation into a Depression to do that, they don't care.

The current purpose of the GOP (as I see it) is to prevent people from using their power to allow their twisted ideologies to transform America into something other than what our Founding Fathers had in mind.

 

[freedombecki]

Remember the movie Network? Well Congress succeeded in becoming the most worthless branch of government in our history. These people are corrupt, ignorant, abusive, abrasive, snobs who, once elected to office, become committed to clogging up the arteries of our government. Their goal is not to work together in order to make our country great but, rather keep the two party system at odds with one another and make sure that the President hits a road block at every turn.

We have a system that does not recruit the best and brightest for service to America but, rather the wealthiest who can affort to buy these lifetime jobs. It's time to throw the bums out and change the way we pay the people who work for us. We need to have a base pay system with a hansome bonus system tied to actual accomplishments during the year that are easily measured. This way, the wealthy, privilaged, spoiled, opinionated, out of touch people would not waste their time running. However, the best and brightest would hear the call to service and pick up the banner. These people would truly represent us with our best interests at heart for they would not have been put on the special interest payroll.

They would be required to always seek bi-partisan solutions to our most pressing issues. They should also be required to meet with the President to hash out differences before they are allowed to go home. No more holding our country hostage because of their stupid games. In order to earn their pension, they must show a career of accomplishment. No more freebies just because you happened to win an election. You must have to earn the honor of your position every day.

Your goals must be our goals. We put you there to protect our best interestes. No more once I get in, the rest of my time in service will be filled with keeping my seat. No more hiding the jumper cables. We must be allowed to have our engine started. To the US Congress: you are not our pride an joy, you represent the worst our country has to offer.

I'm mad as hell, too.

I'm mad as hell Democrats are overspending.

The only good thing in Congress right now is Republicans blockading the Democrats from overspending some more.

Long live fiscal conservatism of blocking Obama's bots from overspending!

There. I'm not mad as hell any more.

Reflection pays with dividends.

A Republican Congress, Senate and President Romney on November 6 will end the baloney and put America back on track for paying down the debt and getting something Obama's never given: a budget. The fringe benefit is fiscal responsibility.

 

[tjvh]

As Senator McConnel stated, the only purpose of the GOP at present is to see that President Obama does not get re-elected. If they have to drive the nation into a Depression to do that, they don't care.

No... It's about keeping Liberals from enacting damaging policy.

 

[LilOlLady]

As Senator McConnel stated, the only purpose of the GOP at present is to see that President Obama does not get re-elected. If they have to drive the nation into a Depression to do that, they don't care.

No... It's about keeping Liberals from enacting damaging policy.

Why do Republicans want to run the government when they say it can't work? Doesn't Iraq, Katrina, Afghanistan, the economy and all the other Republican disasters prove it's Republicans who can't run government?

 

[LilOlLady]

Remember the movie Network? Well Congress succeeded in becoming the most worthless branch of government in our history. These people are corrupt, ignorant, abusive, abrasive, snobs who, once elected to office, become committed to clogging up the arteries of our government. Their goal is not to work together in order to make our country great but, rather keep the two party system at odds with one another and make sure that the President hits a road block at every turn.

We have a system that does not recruit the best and brightest for service to America but, rather the wealthiest who can affort to buy these lifetime jobs. It's time to throw the bums out and change the way we pay the people who work for us. We need to have a base pay system with a hansome bonus system tied to actual accomplishments during the year that are easily measured. This way, the wealthy, privilaged, spoiled, opinionated, out of touch people would not waste their time running. However, the best and brightest would hear the call to service and pick up the banner. These people would truly represent us with our best interests at heart for they would not have been put on the special interest payroll.

They would be required to always seek bi-partisan solutions to our most pressing issues. They should also be required to meet with the President to hash out differences before they are allowed to go home. No more holding our country hostage because of their stupid games. In order to earn their pension, they must show a career of accomplishment. No more freebies just because you happened to win an election. You must have to earn the honor of your position every day.

Your goals must be our goals. We put you there to protect our best interestes. No more once I get in, the rest of my time in service will be filled with keeping my seat. No more hiding the jumper cables. We must be allowed to have our engine started. To the US Congress: you are not our pride an joy, you represent the worst our country has to offer.

I'm mad as hell, too.

I'm mad as hell Democrats are overspending.

The only good thing in Congress right now is Republicans blockading the Democrats from overspending some more.

Long live fiscal conservatism of blocking Obama's bots from overspending!

There. I'm not mad as hell any more.

Reflection pays with dividends.

A Republican Congress, Senate and President Romney on November 6 will end the baloney and put America back on track for paying down the debt and getting something Obama's never given: a budget. The fringe benefit is fiscal responsibility.

Did you sleep through 8 years of Bush spending and borrowing?