Two Democratic U.S. Senators have just announced a couple of days ago that they won't seek re-election this year. They are Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Christopher Dodd (D-CN). Byron Dorgan claims the reason for his retirement is that he desires to spend time with his family and write books. He's been in the senate for 30 years. Senator Christopher Dodd is retiring after nearly 30 years in the Senate. He is beset by the mortgage meltdown scandal. Dodd is the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. He was right in the middle of the mortgage meltdown. Many of the Democrats played a role in encouraging banks to dilute requirements for minorities when it came to purchasing a home. It devalued the housing markets and in the last few years home foreclosures has been on the rise. Dodd is a political liability to the Democratic Party and that's why some of the party leaders encouraged him to step down. Popular Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in Connecticut will more than likely seek Dodd's seat and it's said that Dodd's senate seat could remain in Democratic hands. Also Colorado Governor Bill Ritter also won't re-election as governor in Colorado. Things are not boding very well with the Democrats in Washington, D.C. We have a progressive/socialist administration with the presidency of Barack Obama. Also, the Democrats in both houses of Congress just recently passed their versions of a healthcare overhaul. The healthcare bill that was passed is not very popular with the American electorate. Therefore the public's view of the Democrats is low right now. That's the reason why I predicted a week ago that the Republicans will seize control of both houses of Congress. It's not because the American public likes or trusts the Republican Party. The American public is disappointed with the Republicans as well. The Republicans were a flop the last several years they held power. Bush played a role in dragging down the Republican Party. No Republican has stepped up to take over the reins of leadership. As of yet, the Republicans haven't drafted a "Contract With America" like Newt Gingrich and the Republicans did in their drive to Congress in 1994.
Jim Sumpter, a national talk-show host, uses a phrase in his show's opening intro. The phrase that's used is, "Voting out incumbent Dittwads." That's what needs to be done this year. There's never been a time in the history of this country that there needs to be a major turnover of the incumbents in Washington like this year. When I say turnover, I mean both Democrats and Republicans. I don't have faith in either party. Most of the incumbents need to be voted out. They've served too long. They treat their position like it's a career post. Most of those in Washington today are drunk with power. They've been bought by the monied interests. They don't serve the American people. They serve those that contribute to their political coffers. It's time that the American people turn out on election day this year in droves to vote out these incumbents. They should be voted out and receive no hefty pension. There are a number of reforms that need to be made when it comes to our Congressmen. I won't use this post to discuss them. I will at a later date. However, they've served too long. I'm not saying this to promote the Republicans. It doesn't make any difference which party they belong to. They are all drunk on power. One area that needs reform is when it comes to campaign financing; not the McCain-Feingold Act of 2002. There needs to be a law passed where no special, corporate interests can contribute money to the campaigns of our government officials. I believe any money that's raised must be raised at the grassroots level. I will discuss campaign financing at a later date.
I had received a forwarded email a few days ago which was a draft of a Congressional Reform Act of 2010. I don't know the author of it but I like some of the provisions of it. One of the provisions of the new reform act was that both houses can only serve a total of 12 years. In the House a member could serve six two-years terms or a Senator could serve two six-year terms. The other option was a house member could serve three two-year terms and then run for the senate and win a senate seat for one term. I agree with that proposal. It's high time that there be term limits for Congressmen and Senators. Our elected elite behave like career politicians and they think they are kings and queens. They treat us as peasants. They think the American people serves Congress. The Constitution designed it for those in government to be public servants. Instead, they are beholden to the monied interests that support their campaigns. They perform the will of the powers-that-be that pull their strings. This must stop. That's why I would like to see ended any financial contributions to political candidates by corporate and special interests. Congress will never serve the public as long as they're bought off by diverse, special interests.
A couple other provisions of the Congressional Reform Act of 2010 was that they receive no pensions upon leaving office as well as they must pay into social security like Americans do. They must also purchase the same type of health insurance as the average American does. It's time for some dramatic changes in regards to our elected elite. One thing's for certain: it's imperative that term limits be imposed upon Congress. The longer they remain in office, the more corrupt they become regardless of party affiliation or ideology. That's why it's imperative to rotate them out of office on a periodic basis. We don't want them to sit in Congress long enough to become too familiar with their position. They don't recognize themselves as public servants when they remain in Washington too long.
The elections of 2010 are now underway. We have ten months until the election. I've been keeping my eyes on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. His poll numbers aren't good given the deals he made with Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson to pass healthcare "reform". As of right now his challenger has a sizable lead over him. I wouldn't be surprised if Reid decides to step down. Anytime there's a number of elected officials from a political party deciding not to seek re-election, it's a good sign their party's in trouble. The Democrats are in trouble. Obama's agenda doesn't bode well with the average American voter and the Democrats have played along with Obama. The healthcare bill that was passed has made many voters angry. The attempted terror attack on Christmas day doesn't help the Democrats. The Democrats are very weak when it comes to national security. President Obama hasn't dealt with the threat of Al-Qaeda very well. Many Americans are upset because troops are still in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most Americans feel that the wars are a waste of time because there's no end in sight for these wars. According to my view, the Democrats could stand to lose their majority in both the House and Senate. It's too premature to say, yet. However, when one party plays the evil guy, then they will be ousted in the next election and the "lesser-of-two-evils" party takes control. Both the Democrats and Republicans take turns playing the evil and not-so-evil guys. If the Republicans win both Houses this year, then they'll mess things up royally and the American public will vote them out again in a few years. The cycle keeps repeating itself. The American people need to take time this year to vote. It's serious!
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