On Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:34:09 -0700, Patrick Elliott wrote:

> I love that Obama stands up and says that people are being
> obstructionists and doing stupid things, especially in the last few
> speeches, but he has got to get past the assumption that the people
> holding the puppet string in the Republican party give a crap about
> being wrong, doing wrong, or fixing problems, unless it helps them
> personally.

Agreed.  He needs to stop talking about doing things and just do them.

I'm also inclined to agree with Doris Kearns Goodwin (who was on Jon 
Stewart's show last week) who said that Obama and the Democratic 
leadership in the Senate should just let the GOP filibuster - then people 
can see what a bunch of tossers *they* are.

I often feel that the whole of DC just needs to have a big cage put 
around it; then we'll have locked up a fairly significant number of 
criminals who peddle in influence over laws.

But I think the real solution would be to return political positions to 
being an unpaid (and cannot-accept-gifts under ANY ANY ANY circumstances) 
positions.  Give them a studio apartment in DC and a stipend, but never 
let them forget that they work for the *people*.  Take away the salaries, 
the high-end health plans, and all of the benefits.  Make it truly a 
public service that they fulfill.

And put term limits in place.

But of course for any of these things to happen, those in power have to 
decide to put those restrictions on themselves.  Like *that* will ever 
happen.

Jim

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