How to Empty Out Both Houses of Congress!

[MineralMan]

It's easy. Just force every member of the House and Senate who has ever used bad judgment and done something wrong at any time of life to resign. No apologies allowed. No excuses accepted. If you ever did something unseemly, wrong or made a stupid mistake, you must resign.

Did you get drunk at some office party and do something stupid and offensive? Resign!
Did you ever say a bigoted or ugly word in anger? Resign!
Did you forget to make a estimated tax payment one year? Resign!

The results would be remarkable. Almost all seats in the House and Senate would be empty. And who would run to replace all those who resigned? There aren't 535 saints living in the United States, I'm sure. We'd have to create a new form of government.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I like it. Absolute liability for any transgression, large or small.

I'm sure that if they expelled anyone who'd ever done something sexually questionable (ogled a secretary, patted someone's butt, told a dirty joke in mixed company) there would hardly be anyone left. "Let him who is without sin amongst you cast the first stone," I think some famous person once said.

[Egnever]

2. This actually touches on one of the biggest problems facing our democracy IMHO

Obviously having high standards for office is a good thing but I think it has gone too far. If you did anything stupid as a kid or in a moment of weakness at any point in your life you will be raked over the coals for it no mater what you did to try to rectify the situation.

I think we lose many otherwise highly ethical people because they recognize they made mistakes in their past and have no wish to face the backlash.

There was a time when i was much more involved in the Dem party than I am now. Before kids ... And multiple people in the local party were pushing me to run for something. I have a troubled past though I was raised in a very dysfunctional family and was basically left to the streets from the time I was 12 and then actually on the streets from 16. I got hooked into the drug scene and partied pretty hard for a few years. I knew there was no way in hell I would get through an election without someone digging that past up and it would leave all the hard work on the floor no matter who I was now.

Now I may not be the model for great governance but I am quite sure I am not the only one who faces something similar in their past.

I think what we get because of this is often the folks with no ethics who see nothing wrong with their behavior no matter how egregious and until someone digs we often find out too late. This has the effect of often saddling us people like Trump that are deeply flawed but can't recognize their own flaws or don't even see them as flaws to begin with.

Again we should definitely strive for greatness but I think we need to mix some reality in there as well. People in their 40's and beyond are not the same people they were in their 20's. Some things are certainly no brainers like outright criminal behavior but I think our bar is often set far too high and because of it there are a lot of otherwise awesome people that would never think to run because they recognize some skeleton in their past.

[FarCenter]

3. How about requiring all Congresspeople to wear a web body camera 24 x 7?

[Ilsa]

8. I think they should wear sponsor suits.

Big decals on their apparel indicating who has them in their pockets.

[defacto7]

4. I would have to add...

If you are ever accused of or tweeted about doing something unseemly, wrong or of making a stupid mistake, you must resign.

Once congress is cleared, I suggest introducing only sinless lifeforms as representatives of the people and our nation.. like the earthworm.

[mercuryblues]

5. there is a huge difference

between making a mistake and learning from it and doing the same thing for decades and then denying it.

[MineralMan]

6. That's true of course.

It's also true that my post is satirical in nature. Overstatement is typical of satire.

[mitch96]

7. I like the idea of showing your corporate sponsor

Just like in Nascar and other motorsports... Big jumpsuit with all the decals of your sponsors so we can quickly know where you REALLY stand.. money talks..
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