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Forum Post: If you could buy a Senator, what would you pay him to do?

Posted 10 years ago on April 21, 2013, 7:33 p.m. EST by ericweiss (575)
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73 Comments

73 Comments


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[-] 3 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

If we impeached everyone in congress who advocated unconstitutional actions,
congress would have no Rs
..............................................................................say that out loud

[-] 4 points by Shule (2638) 10 years ago

There would hardly be any Ds either.

Come to think of it, there would be only two people left in all of Congress; Dennis Kucinich (D), and Ron Paul (R). Now that would be interesting.

[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

FYI - neither is in congress

[-] 2 points by Shule (2638) 10 years ago

Geez, that is correct.

I suppose neither of them were crooked enough.

[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

the key is not to complain that everyone takes money -
they CANNOT be elected if they dont
the answer is to make it ILLEGAL
see HJR 29 by Rick Nolan

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[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

Gitmo should be closed, as Obama & bush agree -
but the Rs in congress will not finance it

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[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

Since it is unconstitutional to billit a soldier in a citizen's house

lets take one Gitmo prisoner and house him in the house of each congressman who refuses to fund a prison to house them

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[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

ZD - you are a very poetic soul
I tilt to the pragmatic and prefer approaches that already have substantial support - I like the HJR29 approach to the 1% owning our government

I believe that many in congress deserve impeachment, but the House would have to do it, and they wont
WE can do it with elections

We have tried, convicted and imprisoned hundreds of terrorists - but the transfer & housing of the Gitmo prisoners requires congressional action to pay for it

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[-] 2 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

as usual - very well said

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[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 10 years ago

If nothing else it puts the assholes in office on notice that the people are beginning to come together in meaningful ways. Taking note of who is fucking with the Constitution taking note of who is fucking over the people and are beginning to start cohesive actions to remove them from office. It also goes towards inspiring the public to take action to get involved.

[-] -1 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

Closing Gitmo is not the issue. Doing something with it's detainees is.

[-] 0 points by Builder (4202) 10 years ago

Like proving the case against them?

What odds would you put on that scenario?

Wouldn't all the details of torture be there for all to see?

[-] -2 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

Yes. But whether they are caged in Cuba or Illinois will not help them be freed.

You think bringing them to a stateside prison will improve their chances of legal hearings or treatment?

[-] 0 points by Builder (4202) 10 years ago

Declaring them to be either war criminals, or political prisoners would be the start of the process, and that is why there's not gonna be any closure of that particular facility.

The tote for war crimes is adding up, and it's not a list that will ever go away.

[-] 0 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

I agree, but GITMO itself Is not the issue

[-] -1 points by Builder (4202) 10 years ago

They (the prisoners) would be moved to European holding cells, so yeah, If I was Obomney, I'd be closing it down.

[-] -1 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

Whatever...a cell is a cell is a cell. Have a cup of coffee.

[-] 1 points by Builder (4202) 10 years ago

One coffee at four am is my limit.

Five pm here, so it's close to dinner for me.

A cell is not what gitmo was (is) all about. It's a continuation of the mind-bending experimentation of the alphabet soup groups that was started in the fifties.

[+] -4 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

We'd also have a VACANCY sign flashing at 1600 Penn Ave

[-] 0 points by NVPHIL (664) 10 years ago

If I remember correctly Alwaki didn't receive due process either. Another victim of the repulicans... Oh that's right it was a democrat that murdered him. Maybe if people ignored the parties and focused on the crime this website would be more then the joke it currently is. Thankfully the occupy presense on the streets realizes this.

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[-] 2 points by NVPHIL (664) 10 years ago

And that is why we are losing our rights. They make us hate a person, group, etc. then strip away their rights and we don't care. Then they do the same thing with someone we care about and get away with it because their is a precedent in place.

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[-] 1 points by NVPHIL (664) 10 years ago

You don't have to feel sorry for him to understand where this could lead. Our rights are their for all of us, not just those deemed worthy. That doesn't even include the fact that we killed his16 yr old son also.

[-] 0 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

Yeah, the CIA funded Al Quada turned to killing Americans after the Ruskies left Afganistan. We created this Frankenstein. In fact, WE created the whole Islamic Jihadist movement. We aided the Chechens too when they were killing Ruskies. How terrible when the dog bites the hand that feeds it.

[-] 2 points by Builder (4202) 10 years ago

Quote a reliable source that shows the US "aided the Chechens", rather than sitting back while Moscow did what it pleased.

[-] -1 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

Builder, since I like ya, I googled Chechnya/CIA and had to page thru all the current nonsense....here's a Reuters article from 2009. You know gd well that the CIA has had their fingers in the Islamic Jihad pot since the 80's..

http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/24/us-russia-chechnya-cia-idUSTRE58N5S120090924

[-] 2 points by Builder (4202) 10 years ago

That's the clandestine version of "what the US did". On the surface, meaning what was visible, the US sat back and did jack shite while the Russians mowed the Chechens down piecemeal. And that is more than likely enough reason to resent the gool ol' boys of the US of A.

[-] -1 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

And what would you have preferred? The US going to war with Russia over it? In a way we DID, since Islamic Jihadists have been our proxy fighters since the days of Reagan. We left the Chechnyans in the lurch, as we did Mubarak, Gadafi, and soon, the FSA,et al in Syria.

[-] 2 points by Builder (4202) 10 years ago

I think you're getting a bit confused here.

The US attacked Libya. The mercenary "rebel forces" are on the payroll, and are now in Syria.

[-] -1 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

Right and they are also soon to be left in the lurch. Are you stoned tonite or what?

[-] 2 points by Builder (4202) 10 years ago

Cooking chicken soup for the folks.

Don't smoke pot, these days.

If they are "to be left in the lurch" like they supposedly were in Afghanistan, why do you think they're still on the payroll? Too radical to let loose, perhaps? Thousands of Stinger missiles unaccounted for?

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[-] -2 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

First they came.....

[-] 1 points by NVPHIL (664) 10 years ago

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.

[-] 0 points by Narley (272) 10 years ago

I’ve always thought the best way to clean up politics is to never vote for incumbents. None of them. One term and you’re out. Maybe after a couple of election cycles we would find an incumbent worthy of a second term. Yea, it’s a long shot, but I never vote for incumbents.

[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

some people never vote for Democrats
some people never vote for Jews
some people never vote for Whites

all very well considered judgements
why think & reason when you can obey a rule

[-] 1 points by Narley (272) 10 years ago

You're right. But my way has more potential to clean the rotton apples out of office.

[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

look at the history of voting against incumbents
it has very rarely worked
unless you count the TP beating conservative R incumbents


an example:
In November of 1998, 401 of the 435 sitting members of the U.S. House of Representatives sought reelection. Of those 401, all but six were reelected. In other words, incumbents seeking reelection to the House had a better than 98% success rate.
U.S. Senators seeking reelection were only slightly less fortunate--slightly less than 90% of the Senate incumbents who sought reelection in 1996 held on to their seats.


to obey your rule, would you vote against
Warren, Sanders, Clyburn, Lewis, Grayson, Defazio, Markey
Iit may be more work, but I prefer to think


If you have weeds in your garden, do you desroy the whole garden?

[-] 1 points by Narley (272) 10 years ago

I never vote for any incumbent. To use your analogy, the garden is all weeds and should be cleaned out. Yes, I even vote against the politicians I like after the first term. Besides, I’m a cynic, I don’t think we can vote away our problems.. Basically whoever has the most money wins. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

few people here will admit it but there is no economic system -
socialism - communism - anarchy -
that worked as well as CONTROLLED capitalism.
It worked very well under TR FDR Ike etc
Was it perfect? NO!
I do not believe any other system worked as well for a substantial period in any country

I never vote for or against any GROUP people - I vote for the best electable people for America
yes - that means that I would not write in Lincoln or vote for Nader

[-] 1 points by Narley (272) 10 years ago

The US has had one of the highest living standards in the world for at least 100 years. I attribute that to capitalism. In the past 30 years or so capitalism has been turned on it’s head so the rich get richer, but that doesn’t mean we should change to some other type government. It just means we fix the current system.

[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

I agree - look at the economy under Ike, Lincoln, FDR ,TR

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[-] 0 points by Shule (2638) 10 years ago

And let's remember what they did to this one dude named 'bin Laden..... And then to have the audacity of sitting around a video monitor to watch the act..... So, much for innocent until proven guilty in a court ( at least Sadam got a mock trial.) And then the politicians have the gall to gloat about it during election time. Meanwhile half the American population is jumping up and down cheering it all on.

What sort of vulgar, psychotic society are we being turned into? For all practical purposes the U.S. Constitution, every international and domestic law, as well as every moral code of conduct has already been chucked away.

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[-] 1 points by Shule (2638) 10 years ago

Sure, but civility is to still take a person to court before executing them.

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[-] 2 points by Shule (2638) 10 years ago

Please, intruding in onto a foreign country's soil, going in and blowing away some elderly unarmed dude in his home in front of his family, while executives are watching the murder orgy live on a video monitor, taking the body away, dismembering it, and throwing out to sea. None of it was accident. All was planned. I don't see any moral conscience in any of that. It was the demented work of psychopaths pure and simple.

I am not a 'bin Laden lover, but damm.

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[-] 1 points by Shule (2638) 10 years ago

How is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev any different than 'bin Laden?

My proudest moment was when I saw the police apprehend him alive, and then after all he did still refer to him as "the suspect."

My saddest moment was when the Washington government came in treating him as other.

Retaliation is never justice.

There can never be justice without due process.

As long as we keep on acting like beasts, others will return the same.

Why do you think what happened in Boston happened?

And until we change its going to happen again and again.

[-] -2 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

Jakar is no different. Our govt SAID they had proof, but they never shared it with us. I would still like a better explanation on why they filled that boat full of bullets when the kid was unarmed. And no one, MSM or alternative, even asks about it. In fact, is that kid locked in a small cell like PFC Manning? Who knows? The media repeated govt talking points and has moved on.

[-] 1 points by Shule (2638) 10 years ago

You ask some very good questions. After the initial blurb, the story did go quiet real quick.....

[-] -2 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

Except for the news yesterday(?) or so that Jakar had scribbled a "manifesto" on the walls of that boat confirming his alleged confession. It took a month for someone to mention he had written something in that bullet-ridden boat?????

Oh, and I would guess the American people would be OUTRAGED if we truly knew the circumstances of Manning's captivity, what 2 or 3 yrs later? He must be out of his mind by now.

[-] -2 points by FreeNakoula (-29) 10 years ago

You know, I am not sure that he ever took responsibility for 9/11. We sometimes take our govt statements as fact.....have YOU seen the video of Jakar placing that Boston bomb? Everyone says there IS one.....

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[-] 2 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 10 years ago

NRA is code for US weapons industry

[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

and "CORP" is code for the USA

[-] 1 points by LeoYo (5909) 10 years ago

Freedom isn't free. If people want politicians that will cater to their needs, they're going to have to pay for them. But before they can pay for them, they have to first demand them http://occupywallst.org/forum/freeda-template/ . Without demand, there will be no supply of the public brand of politician leaving only the corporate brand of politician in the marketplace.

[-] 2 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

demands MAY work
laws WILL work.
HJR29

[-] 1 points by LeoYo (5909) 10 years ago

Demands WILL work.

Initiatives WILL work.

But non-initiative laws CAN'T work without the demand of elected lawmakers to write them.

So long as people refuse the demand for non-corporate lawmakers, the laws will always be written to benefit the corporations.

[-] 1 points by ericweiss (575) 10 years ago

I agree that demands, and initiatives will work
but not if we fail to un-elect the pro-1%

[-] 1 points by LeoYo (5909) 10 years ago

Organizing to demand non-corporate politicians is the first step to replacing the pro-1%. People have to organize across party lines to present a list of agreed upon demands in the form of an affidavit for candidates to sign if they wish to be eligible to receive votes. The corporaticians (corporate politicians) will refuse to sign but any candidate to truly support the interests of the people will. If people refuse to give their votes to corporaticians, true politicians will arise to meet the demands of the people. The people simply have to be united across party lines in setting the standard of what will be acceptable for any candidate. That's the exercise of true democracy and no amount of billionaire money can ever take it away IF the people are willing to unite on common ground.

There will always be partisan voters who will vote for their party candidates no matter what but the majority of eligible voters are either independents or non-voters and can't be swayed by any partisan affiliations. If they were to simply be motivated to vote for non-corporatician candidates, the change would take place but the demand for such politicians has to first take place.

[-] 1 points by inclusionman (7064) 10 years ago

NRA makes money on criminal gun use.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/04/22/1900631/tsarnaev-nra/

Merchants of Death

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 10 years ago

In the case of Rand Paul, I would have him stuff a sock in it.

Literally.

It would make a nice and accurate photo op.

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[-] -1 points by HCabret (-327) 10 years ago

Id pay him to quit his job and let other people make thier own decisions.