Democracy - Sold to the highest bidder!

[NanceGreggs]

An Open Letter to Our Esteemed Elected Officials:

As an American citizen, I must say I have been rather put out (okay, astoundingly appalled) by the number of you (and still counting) who have been willing to sell out your ideals, your humanity, and your fellow citizens in exchange for money and favours from lobbyists like Jack Abramoff (who, I am confident, you have NEVER even met).

I, like many Americans, have a problem with your conduct on any number of levels. But the most galling fact in all of this is that if we knew you were for sale, we would have had a fighting chance to get in on the bidding.

We common folk (you remember us, the ones who put you into office?) don't have the millions of dollars that an Abramoff has to throw around. But we would have been more than willing to pool our resources to buy your attention, and perhaps your support, when it came time to endorsing certain bills, laws, and policies that might have given us a fightin' chance in the economy we find ourselves in (with no small thanks to you, to give credit where credit is due).

While millions of American citizens now face what amounts to permanent indentured servitude to credit card debt, thanks to your support of the Bankruptcy Bill, it's sad to learn that had we taken up a collection and presented you with a 'cash incentive', you might have voted otherwise on this law.

I've got to tell you, I'm not a wealthy person, but if a box seat at a basketball game would have done the trick in having you look a bit more unfavourably on passing Medicaid reform that is going to result in my fellow Americans dying due to lack of pharmaceutical coverage for life-saving prescriptions, I would have cashed in my paltry savings account and sent it your way.

The thing that really puzzles me is the fact that you can easily afford the very things you were willing to sacrifice your political careers, your integrity, and your very souls for -- I mean really, a round of golf in Scotland? Couldn't you just vote yourselves yet another raise to cover THAT?

I'm not a politician, so maybe I don't appreciate the incredible pressure you're under to maintain that Capital Hill, who-are-your-wearing to the Inaugural Ball lifestyle you're all accustomed to. But I'd like to think that if I were going to sell out my fellow countrymen, I would have held out for something better than dinner-for-two at 'Signatures' restaurant in downtown D.C. But hey, that's just me.

There's no point in appealing to your conscience (what with you not having one and all), but perhaps I can appeal to your sense of fair play - not to mention the concept of the financial rewards one can garner in a seller's market.

Before you sell your next vote on a bill that affects my fellow citizens to the highest lobbyist bidder, perhaps you could invite we poor folk into the process. Maybe you could post your 'favourable patronage' on eBay, and give us poor slobs a chance to 'win' your heart, not to mention your vote?

I am not naive. I realize what a temptation it is, when you're facing re-election, to try and put a few extra dollars into the ol' campaign coffers. But here's an idea -- free of charge(!) -- that you might consider: Why don't you try actually representing the best interests of your constituents? I know it's a crazy idea, Washington politics being what they are these days, but you might be pleasantly surprised by the reaction you get at the voting polls! Imagine the refreshing idea of actually working for the people who pay your salary, instead of working to their detriment! It's so crazy, it just might work.

Anyway, thanks for your more-than-valuable time.

Your Truly,
An American Citizen (i.e. your Employer)

[firefox]

1. You have to admire your effort. Nominated.

We have the best politicians that money can buy.

[NanceGreggs]

2. I thought we 'bought' them when we agreed to ...

... put them in office and pay their salaries.

But then, I'm just patriotically naive.

[firefox]

10. You know what gets me the most?

I see the leaf in your posting and I want to say something as it somewhat inspires me to comment.

I had a precipitating event that locked me into participation on the Internet. It would be Rainbow Farms when two gay guys in Michigan were all but executed because they would not abandon the property that was taken under the forfeiture/seizure laws. Playboy did a great article on this that I wish all Americans would read- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17185.shtml In comment11 I called it the article of the year even though it was just the last of August. It was the article of the year as nothing could really beat the subject matter.

But what Rainbow Farms taught me with one kick in the head was that the media was no more interested in news than I am in whale hunting. Rainbow Farms happened Labor Day weekend in 2001, one week before 9/11 and had significance to 9/11 because it drew 50 FBI agents to the scene. Now if there were any priorities the federal government would not be there to start with as there was an army of state LEOs there anyway.

The point is that once people latch on that something is very wrong, they are not going to let go and that all the ignorance and brainwashing that now protects the politicians in Washington can and will be beaten back. It is just a question of how much pain they can inflict before they are stopped.

People are latching on to ending the criminal rule we have in Washington and as long as they wave George WarCriminal Bush in front of everyone, people are going to be outraged.

But what gets me most of all the things I have read is how people find 535 people so special. You would think that the people in Congress are really gifted, but nothing could be further from the truth. And some really try judging them by a few chosen words or by a resume when really what we need to know is where their heart is or who their master is and that is what relates to your post.

Cannabis policy can tell us a great deal about where our policians hearts are because there is no reasoning that justifies the criminal treatment for the use of cannabis. It defies all principles of freedom and goes well past absurd in the prohibition of hemp and makes crimeless victims from what most would call a victimless crime. The onerous laws have worse punishment than murder sometimes and my educated feeling is that one day in jail is cruel and unusual punishment. There is no discussion of it by the politicians or even talking heads because honest discussion can only go one way just as the lies only go one way.

It is like Chief Joseph said, it only takes a few words to tell the truth. My truth is that being for criminal prohibition of laughing grass is a litmus test for where the politicians heart are and in almost all cases that heart belongs to the fascists that want a police state to rule over us and ignore governing. We are ruled by treason, if you want some more truth.

So whatever. I am glad you have latched on. But I did think you might want to read this comment3 as an example of personal creation- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21471.shtml#3

[punpirate]

3. Answer:

Representative democracy is bitch. Get over it. You wouldn't pay to get me elected (when I really needed the help), so why should I listen to you now? Yeah, promises, promises, you'll pay for my tendencies to luxury, but all those five-dollar bills are a pain in the ass to handle, and staffers to count them don't come cheap in DC--Congressmen's wives don't come cheap. Besides, when I retire, are you going to pay me $250,000 a year as a lobbyist to work for your interests? I mean, get real, citizen.

Besides, if I start working for ordinary people (the poor?), I'd get a bad reputation. K Street has its standards, y'know. I'd get laughed off the block. And, how do I explain pimping for you folks when I need money from the National Chamber of Commerce, or the National Association of Manufacturers? Those guys are brutal.

Look, do yourself a favor and keep your nickels and dimes. You're going to need them.

Your Faithful Servant,

XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

[NanceGreggs]

4. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa ...

... I am suitably chastised, your most esteemed PunPirateship.

:headbang:

[punpirate]

5. Hey, it's not me...

... I'm just channeling my own representatives. :) You've never met assholes until you've been represented by those put in power by the oil patch. :P

[NanceGreggs]

6. And you channel very well!

The oil patch? I once got an 'Oil Patch Kid' doll for Christmas -- but that was before all the Christmas presents were killed in the War On Christmas ...

[leftstreet]

7. Hell yeah! I 'd have taken one of them golfing

In exchange for some hard talk on single payer national healthcare.

[bvar22]

8. If I ever go golfing with one of them,

THEY will need HealthCare to remove my 9-iron from their posterior.

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

In EVERY case, "Barriers to Trade" and "Restrictions on Corporations" were created to protect something valuable!

[leftstreet]

9. ROFL!

Great signature line.