Yeah, no. Sorry - you let these guys get in to office.
On top of that, at this point - these people do not care how you feel. They get to redistrict states so they're set except for primary challenges. These politicians have a deathgrip on state legislature and are getting things set up for 2014 so that they can keep the government dysfunctional.
You're going to get pissed? Get pissed. Go out and threaten a recall. Get involved with your local elections and your state elections because they're just important as the federal.
But don't be surprised at this point when the Republican platform has been "Screw Obama / NO SPENDING WHATSOEVER" and the Democratic platform has been "There's not enough of us so WE NEED MORE US."
eta: On top of that, it's telling that Congress wasn't even session for when these cuts were scheduled to hit. We'll have another grand political theater and blame session on the debt ceiling, I can promise that.
Yeah, no. Sorry - you let these guys get in to office.
who are you referring to? Because plenty of people will contract their congress critter even if they personally didn't vote for that person. And, to be fair, some states have been gerrymandered like crazy so the congressional delegation really doesn't reflect what the majority of people in that state actually wanted.
Repubs wouldn't have been able to gerrymander had the people who voted in 2008 gone out to the polls to combat the Tea Partiers. Restrictive voting laws wouldn't happen if people actually voted and were aware of the stakes in local elections.
It's just sad / frustrating that so many people aren't aware until after they let the system screw them over. I am legit scared that it sounds like Virginia's going to go Bill Bolling's way rn
I live in Michigan, so I feel your pain. I think the types of people who are going to contact their reps though are probably the types who are voters and who at least somewhat pay attention.
Well this is probably beside the point, but it kinda irritates me that we've just decided that it's perfectly okay that the executive branch should be ridiculously involved in legislative issues or that he should be the "head" or one or the other party. God I hate the concept of political parties.
eta: I'm not saying that the President doesn't have a say or shouldn't be involved at all, but Congress could get its shit together without the president. As long as a bill isn't something that the Pres could in good conscience veto, he is the least important part of this.
Representative Luis Gutierrez, a Chicago Democrat who won an 11th term last year
Not the point of the article, but every political office should have term limits. And maybe if some of these people couldn't run next election, they'd focus on their jobs and not on making a show about toeing the party line and blaming the other side when nothing got done.
but every political office should have term limits
Oh, man, so much agreement here. No more than two terms -- consecutive or otherwise -- for any politician. I honestly think it would make a world of difference.
It goes both ways though, because then you get people who know that they can fuck things up in their last term and not face any consequences since they don't have to worry about getting voted out. Look at what happens in lame duck sessions when you get all of these people who are on their way out so they try to plow though as much crap as possible.
I live in a state with term limits for our legislature, and I don't think they have really done much to make our legislature better or have done anything to reduce partisan bickering.
But it's not worse, right? At least we would have fresh blood, and it would shake up the old boys' network. No one should hold a Senate seat for 50 years.
Congress needs to get its shit together. They needed to get their shit together ages ago.
I just kinda feel bad for the poor schmucks who have to deal with all of these calls. I have... vivid memories of interning on the Hill during the votes on the stimulus/beginnings of Obamacare spending hours getting screamed at by people.
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On top of that, at this point - these people do not care how you feel. They get to redistrict states so they're set except for primary challenges. These politicians have a deathgrip on state legislature and are getting things set up for 2014 so that they can keep the government dysfunctional.
You're going to get pissed? Get pissed. Go out and threaten a recall. Get involved with your local elections and your state elections because they're just important as the federal.
But don't be surprised at this point when the Republican platform has been "Screw Obama / NO SPENDING WHATSOEVER" and the Democratic platform has been "There's not enough of us so WE NEED MORE US."
eta: On top of that, it's telling that Congress wasn't even session for when these cuts were scheduled to hit. We'll have another grand political theater and blame session on the debt ceiling, I can promise that.
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who are you referring to? Because plenty of people will contract their congress critter even if they personally didn't vote for that person. And, to be fair, some states have been gerrymandered like crazy so the congressional delegation really doesn't reflect what the majority of people in that state actually wanted.
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Repubs wouldn't have been able to gerrymander had the people who voted in 2008 gone out to the polls to combat the Tea Partiers. Restrictive voting laws wouldn't happen if people actually voted and were aware of the stakes in local elections.
It's just sad / frustrating that so many people aren't aware until after they let the system screw them over. I am legit scared that it sounds like Virginia's going to go Bill Bolling's way rn
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eta: I'm not saying that the President doesn't have a say or shouldn't be involved at all, but Congress could get its shit together without the president. As long as a bill isn't something that the Pres could in good conscience veto, he is the least important part of this.
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Not the point of the article, but every political office should have term limits. And maybe if some of these people couldn't run next election, they'd focus on their jobs and not on making a show about toeing the party line and blaming the other side when nothing got done.
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Oh, man, so much agreement here. No more than two terms -- consecutive or otherwise -- for any politician. I honestly think it would make a world of difference.
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I live in a state with term limits for our legislature, and I don't think they have really done much to make our legislature better or have done anything to reduce partisan bickering.
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I just kinda feel bad for the poor schmucks who have to deal with all of these calls. I have... vivid memories of interning on the Hill during the votes on the stimulus/beginnings of Obamacare spending hours getting screamed at by people.
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