House and Senate 2012

[Mithrandir]

Bull****.

Most people in congress are motivated by #1 staying in office and #2 climbing the congressional food chain.

Those with true intent get kicked to the curb because they don't kiss the right ass or pander to the right PAC.


If you think otherwise, you're one of the reasons our country is ****ed today.

Agree 10000000%.

[Mithrandir]

I'm with you here. Congressmen (including the female ones) are rugged individualists, or they would not survive the campaign. That does not mean they are not trying to do the right thing. One thing that has proven itself through the years, money does not buy votes. Money buys access to the decision maker and time to make your case.

When I mentioned tin foil, I was dead serious.

J

Then why is our country so f**ked up? Or isn't it as bad as we are led to believe?

[Mithrandir]

I'm with you here. Congressmen (including the female ones) are rugged individualists, or they would not survive the campaign. That does not mean they are not trying to do the right thing. One thing that has proven itself through the years, money does not buy votes. Money buys access to the decision maker and time to make your case.

When I mentioned tin foil, I was dead serious.

J

Too bad.

[chancellor]

Bull****.

Most people in congress are motivated by #1 staying in office and #2 climbing the congressional food chain.

Back at you, GITH. My state's present US Senators - Kohl and Johnson - are at politically opposite ends of the spectrum. They both have firm and dedicated beliefs that they work for and articulate clearly. They're both independently wealthy and neither have a taint of corruption. Johnson's predecessor was Russ Feingold, who is as poor as any member of Congress I can think of. I disagreed a lot with Herb Kohl, but he's as honest as the day is long and I have a lot of respect for him. Same for Feingold.

My present US rep is a Tea Party GOPer; his predecessor was a liberal Dem. I didn't like the predecessor, but he was not corrupt.

That's not to say there's no cynical opportunists in Congress. Among all my state's reps, I'd certainly agree there's two who qualify.

If you think otherwise, you're one of the reasons our country is ****ed today.

Actually, this attitude is much more of a reason our country is in the shape it's in. It drives a complete lack of participation, shown by low voter turnouts, and limited involvement in running for elections at any level

[B-Fly]

This is one time that I mostly agree with chancellor. I also believe that many in Congress think they are doing what is best for America.

And that is not inconsistent with your #1 and #2 above. You can't get much done in a single term - you need to stick around if you want to make a difference, and you need to reach the upper levels of committees if you want your ideas to be heard.

Agreed. Most elected officials do think they're working hard to advance the best interests of their constituents and the American people.

[onejayhawk]

Then why is our country so f**ked up? Or isn't it as bad as we are led to believe?

Because people are not perfect and are intrinsicly petty.

If you expect a system that can be made to work, and you have a chance of not being disappointed. If you want a well oiled machine, chances are you wind up with a dictatorship.

J

[onejayhawk]

We ahve not been paying much attention to Capital Hill lately, but it has been a very good summer for the GOP. The UVa Crystal Ball has move 3 tossups to leans, all of them to Republicans.

Assuming that all six of these tenuous leaning Republican seats hold — and the leaning Democratic Senate races in Hawaii, New Mexico and Ohio also stay Blue — the Republicans would have a 49-47 Senate edge, with four remaining toss-ups. Democrats would need to sweep all four toss-ups to retain a bare majority in the Senate, 51-49. The toss-ups are Florida, Massachusetts, Montana and Virginia.

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/thompson-win-boosts-senate-republicans/

The race semi-officially kicks off in two weeks, on the Labor Day weekend. A month from now we will have two conventions in the books. For now, just out of the blocks, the Republicans are ahead by half a stride.

J

[bryanbutler]

i say again, don't count on NM.

"Assuming that all six..." seems a stretch.

[onejayhawk]

i say again, don't count on NM.

"Assuming that all six..." seems a stretch.

So you expect NM to go Republican? That's a switch.

J

[onejayhawk]

As expected the Akin Gaffe is throwing Missouri into the Democratic side of the tally. This is a Democrat seat that was in jepardy, but it seems doubtful that any combination of maneuvors will save the GOP chances. However, the UVA board is only moving it to toss up, from leans Republican.

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/rating-changes-two-new-toss-ups/

J

[Don Quixote]

I wouldn't get too up in arms about an accusation that a Congress that's been bought and sold doesn't get behind the one guy who isn't.

"Before Social Security existed, about half of America's senior citizens lived in poverty. Today, less than 10 percent live in poverty. Let me be clear: as a United State Senator, I will be damned if this group of multi-millionaire CEOs, working with multi-millionaire Senators and Congressmen from both sides of the aisle succeeds in gutting Social Security." --- Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

Sanders is just the best, hands down.

Bernie's always good at denouncing proposals that haven't been proposed and which he knows won't be proposed. He's great at setting up straw men and knocking them down--and claiming a halo for his waste of time and oxygen.

What I'd like to see from the ideologically pure like Sanders is some actual legislative proposals--not ideas, not trial balloons, not red meat for the the folks back in the People's Republic of Vermont. Get your hands dirty a little, Bernie, and put some actual proposals on the table. Fight for them, heck, even compromise a bit, if your ideas are so good. Until then, like your colleagues on the far left and your counterparts on the far right, you're just hot air.

[Don Quixote]

As expected the Akin Gaffe is throwing Missouri into the Democratic side of the tally. This is a Democrat seat that was in jepardy, but it seems doubtful that any combination of maneuvors will save the GOP chances. However, the UVA board is only moving it to toss up, from leans Republican.

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/rating-changes-two-new-toss-ups/

J

If Akin stays in the race and McCaskill wins, with the net result being it costs the Republicans the chance to retake the Senate by one seat--good. If it takes a victory by a moron like him to achieve victory, it would be a Pyrrhic victory indeed.

As for the polls, I can understand their caution. It's still ten weeks until the election and a lot can happen.

[Don Quixote]

...........................

"If there's a more useless gasbag twit on the left than Sanders, I don't know who he is...OK, I guess Schumer comes close."

3 men who attended the same high school in Brooklyn: Sanders, Schumer - and my father.
#smallworld

of course, my father said fewer words in a month than those guys do in a day, lol

Two guys in the same college graduating class--John Boehner and me. I was a campus politician, he wasn't. Not one person from our class to whom I've talked remembers him, not even ones in his major.

[onejayhawk]

If Akin stays in the race and McCaskill wins, with the net result being it costs the Republicans the chance to retake the Senate by one seat--good. If it takes a victory by a moron like him to achieve victory, it would be a Pyrrhic victory indeed.

As for the polls, I can understand their caution. It's still ten weeks until the election and a lot can happen.

Have you seen Minnesota's junior Senator?

Akins comments have not completely sunk his ship. McCaskill got a 10 % bump out of the gaff, but has her own foot in mouth problems.

J

[Bob Kohm]

Have you seen Minnesota's junior Senator?

Akins comments have not completely sunk his ship. McCaskill got a 10 % bump out of the gaff, but has her own foot in mouth problems.

J

Not sunk his ship? Robert Ballard just signed a contract with National Geographic for an expedition to locate in under the North Atlantic, Jay. Akin didn't put his foot in his mouth, he stuck his swollen, throbbing dick in the face of every woman in America and then reemphasized Romney and the RNC's utter inability to control their minions, a process started with the Tea Party movement, continued by Boehner's embarrassing reversals int he current Congress and now Akin telling Romney to go shlt in his hat because there are so many Republicans who actually believe in this "legitimate rape" crap including the party's new darling, Paul Ryan.

Al Franken may be an ass, but if you're seriously comparing him to Akin you have become totally unmoored.