Do You Think It's Ok To Bribe Congressmembers To Get Their Votes?

[mudwhistle]

We keep hearing about all of the promises that Obama is making to all of these Democrats to change their votes. Doesn't this look a bit unseemly? Who is really being served here anyway; The politicians or the people that put them in their jobs?

How many times in the last two weeks has Obama committed an impeachable offense? If George Bush was doing this would he get the same pass Obama is currently getting?

You can't bribe a judge, lawyer, or a jurist....so why is it OK to bribe a politician? Somebody answer this question for me because I'm not getting it.

In all respects the President is breaking the law because he's offering gifts for their votes, even if it's not a personal bribe...it does benefit the receiver directly in his or her own state. This should be against the law...and only illustrates the corruption in Washington....doesn't it?????

I thought we have laws against bribery. So are you trying to find out if we should make it legal or not? I am against bribery, but if you are talking about trading for votes or "I scratch your back if you scratch mine" methods of parlimentarian systems, then you are way off base.

Call it what it is and do not use propagandist motivated words to describe it.

Keep in mind, if this is called bribery, Ronald Reagan "Bribed" many Democrats to pass much of his policy agendas back in the 80's. Or, using my way of saying it, Reagan made promises to Democrats for their votes on the bills he wanted.

I am spot on. There is no two ways to look at it.

Offering money, positions, benefits others don't receive...are all examples of bribery.

The thing is how much of this is the public willing to stand for.

 

[mudwhistle]

We keep hearing about all of the promises that Obama is making to all of these Democrats to change their votes. Doesn't this look a bit unseemly? Who is really being served here anyway; The politicians or the people that put them in their jobs?

How many times in the last two weeks has Obama committed an impeachable offense? If George Bush was doing this would he get the same pass Obama is currently getting?

You can't bribe a judge, lawyer, or a jurist....so why is it OK to bribe a politician? Somebody answer this question for me because I'm not getting it.

In all respects the President is breaking the law because he's offering gifts for their votes, even if it's not a personal bribe...it does benefit the receiver directly in his or her own state. This should be against the law...and only illustrates the corruption in Washington....doesn't it?????

Could you list all the promises the president himself has specifically made, and to whom specifically,

then we can evaluate them on a case by case basis.

A very sad dodge.

Of course Obama will never allow that to come out. He'll pass the blame onto everyone else. He did admit to one deal Special Deal for Labor Unions in Health Care Bill - Blogrunner

Also shortly after Obama talked a couple of CA congressmen into changing their vote from no to yes all of the sudden they got extra water rights for their state. I think this is why Obama signed that executive order controlling inter-coastal waterways.

Special Deals Sprinkled Throughout Final Health Care Bill - Yahoo! News

$100 million in exemptions to Nebraska
$300 million to any state that has had a natural disaster in the last seven years. Louisiana is the only state that qualifies for this.

Special deals, carve-outs keep health care afloat - CNN.com

Deals are the lifeblood of legislation.

-- Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., got $100 million more for her state's Medicaid program before announcing her support.

-- Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders didn't get Medicare-for-all, but he successfully pushed a $10-billion increase for community health centers.

-- Connecticut independent Joe Lieberman stopped a proposed government insurance plan.

-- Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., the crucial 60th vote for the bill, won a slew of concessions for his state.

A longtime abortion opponent, Nelson was also pivotal in that compromise.

Democrat's special deals life blood of health care bill -- GOPUSA

 

[amrchaos]

We keep hearing about all of the promises that Obama is making to all of these Democrats to change their votes. Doesn't this look a bit unseemly? Who is really being served here anyway; The politicians or the people that put them in their jobs?

How many times in the last two weeks has Obama committed an impeachable offense? If George Bush was doing this would he get the same pass Obama is currently getting?

You can't bribe a judge, lawyer, or a jurist....so why is it OK to bribe a politician? Somebody answer this question for me because I'm not getting it.

In all respects the President is breaking the law because he's offering gifts for their votes, even if it's not a personal bribe...it does benefit the receiver directly in his or her own state. This should be against the law...and only illustrates the corruption in Washington....doesn't it?????

I thought we have laws against bribery. So are you trying to find out if we should make it legal or not? I am against bribery, but if you are talking about trading for votes or "I scratch your back if you scratch mine" methods of parlimentarian systems, then you are way off base.

Call it what it is and do not use propagandist motivated words to describe it.

Keep in mind, if this is called bribery, Ronald Reagan "Bribed" many Democrats to pass much of his policy agendas back in the 80's. Or, using my way of saying it, Reagan made promises to Democrats for their votes on the bills he wanted.

I am spot on. There is no two ways to look at it.

Offering money, positions, benefits others don't receive...are all examples of bribery.

The thing is how much of this is the public willing to stand for.

It is Bribery if it is to go to the benefit of the politician--Then we can throw the politician into jail.

It is "horse trading" if it benefits the politicians causes, such as his state or constituents!! This is what a politician does in order for us to determine if she/he is working for us or not.

I do not know how you think it should be done, but if horse trading is not allowed, very few policies, including tax cuts, would be considered, let alone voted upon.

 

[Zona]

We keep hearing about all of the promises that Obama is making to all of these Democrats to change their votes. Doesn't this look a bit unseemly? Who is really being served here anyway; The politicians or the people that put them in their jobs?

How many times in the last two weeks has Obama committed an impeachable offense? If George Bush was doing this would he get the same pass Obama is currently getting?

You can't bribe a judge, lawyer, or a jurist....so why is it OK to bribe a politician? Somebody answer this question for me because I'm not getting it.

In all respects the President is breaking the law because he's offering gifts for their votes, even if it's not a personal bribe...it does benefit the receiver directly in his or her own state. This should be against the law...and only illustrates the corruption in Washington....doesn't it?????

"Do You Think It's Ok To Bribe Congressmembers To Get Their Votes? "

Will add this to my 'look for the crazy threads to start right before the health care bill is passed' thread. Thanks.

 

[Care4all]

It is never ok. It is totally unacceptable. Congress critters are supposed to represent their constituents.... Note: 'Represent'.... Represent does not mean vote in our best interests, or vote their own conscience... it mean they vote according to how the majority of their constituents want. Not their 'special interests', not any other way.... Just 'represent' their constituents.

I'm not 100% certain, and I would have to do some research, but I believe the congressmen are suppose to vote their conscience....we elect them as representatives, but they are suppose to vote their conscience....

we elect them to vote their conscience, not to have them vote every single way as an individual that voted for them....there are too many individuals that split on their desires for them to be able to vote with every one of them.

(gosh, that sounds like a broken record... )

 

[concept]

Hey if you're a lib, it's all good.

 

[Care4all]

most all bills are passed with give and take....negotiations behind the scenes and it has been this way since the founding fathers.....

Lobbying influence bothers me much more than the give and take of the congressmen and senators amongst eachother.

 

[WillowTree]

yes, we all give and you weeenies in louisiana, south florida, nebraska and ohio take,, i can see why you love to take.. you not givers make me sick.

 

[mudwhistle]

I thought we have laws against bribery. So are you trying to find out if we should make it legal or not? I am against bribery, but if you are talking about trading for votes or "I scratch your back if you scratch mine" methods of parlimentarian systems, then you are way off base.

Call it what it is and do not use propagandist motivated words to describe it.

Keep in mind, if this is called bribery, Ronald Reagan "Bribed" many Democrats to pass much of his policy agendas back in the 80's. Or, using my way of saying it, Reagan made promises to Democrats for their votes on the bills he wanted.

I am spot on. There is no two ways to look at it.

Offering money, positions, benefits others don't receive...are all examples of bribery.

The thing is how much of this is the public willing to stand for.

It is Bribery if it is to go to the benefit of the politician--Then we can throw the politician into jail.

It is "horse trading" if it benefits the politicians causes, such as his state or constituents!! This is what a politician does in order for us to determine if she/he is working for us or not.

I do not know how you think it should be done, but if horse trading is not allowed, very few policies, including tax cuts, would be considered, let alone voted upon.

it's simple. Make it illegal to trade votes for anything. It shouldn't matter what it is.

Try grasping that concept.

 

[xotoxi]

Do You Think It's Ok To Bribe Congressmembers To Get Their Votes?

Sometimes Congressmembers have to be stroked to get them to stand up and do what you want them to do.

 

[uscitizen]

The Supreme Court has as much as said it's OK. They said money is speech so when someone delivers a bag of money to an elected official, they're just talking.

Money talks, bullshit gets them elected.

 

[mudwhistle]

most all bills are passed with give and take....negotiations behind the scenes and it has been this way since the founding fathers.....

Lobbying influence bothers me much more than the give and take of the congressmen and senators amongst eachother.

Wait a minute.

What happened to "Change we can believe in!!

What happened to "Transparency"

Are we gonna shit-can all of that fancy rhetoric the moment it becomes inconvenient?

Are you saying all of those fancy words during the campaign were just a pack of lies???


Let's face it...you folks want to play it both ways. You want a transformative government but when we call you on it you want to claim all of this has been done before. Which is it?? I'm confused.

 

[PixieStix]

A bribe is criminal ... isn't it?

I thought it was

Bribery is the offer or acceptance of anything of value in exchange for influence on a government/public official or employee. Bribes can take the form of gifts or payments of money in exchange for favorable treatment, such as awards of government contracts. In most situations, both the person offering the bribe and the person accepting can be charged with bribery.

 

[uscitizen]

most all bills are passed with give and take....negotiations behind the scenes and it has been this way since the founding fathers.....

Lobbying influence bothers me much more than the give and take of the congressmen and senators amongst eachother.

Wait a minute.

What happened to "Change we can believe in!!

What happened to "Transparency"

Are we gonna shit-can all of that fancy rhetoric the moment it becomes inconvenient?

Are you saying all of those fancy words during the campaign were just a pack of lies???

Remember now political advertisements are specifcally exempt from the truth in advertising laws.

 

[Care4all]

I guess you repubs have very short memory spans?

Hellooooo? the medicare pill bill...where a 15 minute vote, that resulted in the NONPASSAGE of the bill was kept opened for 3 hours so that the republicans could BRIBE as you all call it, congressmen to change their vote...they even had president Bush call some of them to "encourage" the change of their vote....they even offered one of the congressman all of the money in the world for his son to run for a seat, they even had Pharma lobbyists come on to the floor of the house to reach these no voters and give them all the money it took to get them to change their vote....and when they were done, they took that 15 minute vote, 3 fricking hours later with the twisted arms and "negotiations with Pharma lobby" and passed the legislation because these congressmen CHANGED their vote.

talk about SCUMMY....

what is happening now is concerning to me, and I do not like it one bit....but it does not come close to the republicans and the medicare pill bill and what they did so please don't act like the repubs are above something like this...they are the MASTERS of it, imo..

 

[PixieStix]

US Code - Chapter 11: Bribery, graft, and conflicts of interest

 

[Ravi]

It is never ok. It is totally unacceptable. Congress critters are supposed to represent their constituents.... Note: 'Represent'.... Represent does not mean vote in our best interests, or vote their own conscience... it mean they vote according to how the majority of their constituents want. Not their 'special interests', not any other way.... Just 'represent' their constituents.

I'm not 100% certain, and I would have to do some research, but I believe the congressmen are suppose to vote their conscience....we elect them as representatives, but they are suppose to vote their conscience....

we elect them to vote their conscience, not to have them vote every single way as an individual that voted for them....there are too many individuals that split on their desires for them to be able to vote with every one of them.

(gosh, that sounds like a broken record... )

Just yesterday the right wing loons were screaming that politicians shouldn't vote based on polls.

 

[Avatar4321]

Heck no

 

[Care4all]

It is never ok. It is totally unacceptable. Congress critters are supposed to represent their constituents.... Note: 'Represent'.... Represent does not mean vote in our best interests, or vote their own conscience... it mean they vote according to how the majority of their constituents want. Not their 'special interests', not any other way.... Just 'represent' their constituents.

I'm not 100% certain, and I would have to do some research, but I believe the congressmen are suppose to vote their conscience....we elect them as representatives, but they are suppose to vote their conscience....

we elect them to vote their conscience, not to have them vote every single way as an individual that voted for them....there are too many individuals that split on their desires for them to be able to vote with every one of them.

(gosh, that sounds like a broken record... )

Just yesterday the right wing loons were screaming that politicians should vote based on polls.

Didn't they make fun of and bash clinton constantly for 8 years straight that he ran the presidency through polls?

 

[uscitizen]

It is never ok. It is totally unacceptable. Congress critters are supposed to represent their constituents.... Note: 'Represent'.... Represent does not mean vote in our best interests, or vote their own conscience... it mean they vote according to how the majority of their constituents want. Not their 'special interests', not any other way.... Just 'represent' their constituents.

I'm not 100% certain, and I would have to do some research, but I believe the congressmen are suppose to vote their conscience....we elect them as representatives, but they are suppose to vote their conscience....

we elect them to vote their conscience, not to have them vote every single way as an individual that voted for them....there are too many individuals that split on their desires for them to be able to vote with every one of them.

(gosh, that sounds like a broken record... )

Just yesterday the right wing loons were screaming that politicians shouldn't vote based on polls.

But that was yesterday. You live in history or something?

they also toggle back and forth on states rights.
One day it is make the feds small and let states do their own business, and the next they are for the feds forcing states not to regulate health insurance.