BoobzTwo

Join Date 02/2004

+17

The cesspool that IS Congress

The 111th is almost down to a single digit approval rating

I have been harangued for being a Republican Party hack on almost every article I have written, for what purpose I know not. As I see it, there is a right side, a left side and the middle. Don’t you have to pick one? But I place all three groups on the left side of the scale at present in the degrees one would expect. I did not abandon the Republican Party; they abandoned me when they decided to use the Democrat Party play book. I will be the first to admit that there are a lot of criminals (most) in their supposedly conservative ranks and would like nothing more than to be rid of them all. Don’t even get me going on the corruption and criminality in the Democrat ranks.

You need to understand that the Democrats control both veto proof Houses of Congress and the Presidency. What this means is that no one is allowed to levee charges against Congressional members without their express prompting. And we all know how well the both Parties clean out cesspools.

A quick search of Congressional Corruption produced “The 15 most corrupt members of Congress”, (2009)

Sen. Roland Burris      (D-IL)
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
Rep. Alan B. Mollohan   (D-WV)
Rep. John P. Murtha     (D-PA)
Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Laura Richardson   (D-CA)
Rep. Pete Visclosky     (D-IN)
Rep. Maxine Waters      (D-CA)
Rep. Vern Buchanan      (R-FL)
Rep. Ken Calvert        (R-CA)
Rep. Nathan Deal        (R-GA)
Sen. John Ensign        (R-NV)
Rep. Jerry Lewis        (R-CA)
Sen. Mitch McConnell    (R-KY)
Rep. Don Young          (R-AK)

This list seems to transcend racial, sexual, persuasion and Party affiliation, as they all do. So why would Pelosi and Obama single out only black Democrats to face ethics charges. I think they have an upcoming election and a plan and racism will be the meat of it.

I would dearly love to see the whole list of 535 536, wouldn’t you? [435 in Congress, 100 in the Senate and the nincompoop in charge.] These people and many others are and have been under investigation for years but to a person, feign outrage and discrimination at any mention of impropriety. Seems like the cesspool that IS Congress is in fact alive and well and prospering at our expense, regardless of Pelosi’s opinion.

I am waiting for enough people to realize that our political structure is corrupt beyond repair and that we as Real Republican and Democrats actually have much more in common now than we have differences. This is expressed through the Tea Party Patriots around the country and other such grass roots movements. If we cannot get the criminal elements and racists out of our Government, we will never get to the minor philosophical differences that separate us as a free people.

Locked Post

Advanced Search

Watch this post

Do not email me updates for this post Email me updates for this post

Successfully updated karma reason!

Given your list (and I have not seen it before), it does beg the question why the Democrat Controlled house only appears to be going after black congress people.

Successfully updated karma reason!

It does seem the term limit battle cry is picking up steam. The only problem is these crooks are are not going to vote away their bread and butter.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Nitro Cruiser,

reply 2

It does seem the term limit battle cry is picking up steam. The only problem is these crooks are are not going to vote away their bread and butter.

No, they never will. It will have to be a state instigated amendment. Repub of Dem, they are all members of the ruling class.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Given your list (and I have not seen it before), it does beg the question why the Democrat Controlled house only appears to be going after black congress people.

You will have to ask the the members of the bipartisan committee that decide these things. After all they are ALL in bed together just singing a different tune to attract their flock. What do you think they mean when they say "Clean up the swamps" ? I don't think they meant DC.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Smoothseas,

reply 4

Hmmm.....no. They investigate, but they do not originate. House leadership originates. They can't investigate if they are not given the task. Once the task is initiated, then it is the "bi-partisan" committee. Which is a bit of a misnomer. It is 100% staffed by the ruling class.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Once the task is initiated, then it is the "bi-partisan" committee. Which is a bit of a misnomer. It is 100% staffed by the ruling class.

Yes so that gets you back to why those 2. Harlem and LA. My guess is they know they will keep Dems. there but need either less caustic voices or specific votes for specific legislation which will come after the next election. Immigration maybe. I know these two are WAY to the left and quite loud when it comes to that issue and what Obama wants is a lot closer to the right. The issues that he's left on the burner (trade agreements, immigration, social security, and energy won't go through until congress swings a little more to the right.

Successfully updated karma reason!

My guess is they know they will keep Dems. there

A very cynical outlook - but one that has merit I believe.

Successfully updated karma reason!

what Obama wants is a lot closer to the right.

What makes you believe that? When Obama was a senator, his voting record was one of the most liberal. Unless you think his staff is running the show while, IMO one of the most inexperienced presidents in US history, continues to concentrate on the campaign trail. That I would agree on.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Look at his plans.....All the recent presidents governed in the center. Its that damn legacy thing you know.....

So he got his more liberal stuff through and now needs more moderates on either side to get the rest. He doesn't want amnesty like last time, that's why the swamplords gotta go. I mean the guy did want to drill baby drill on the east coast until BP screwed up. Did you miss that one?

When Obama was a senator, his voting record was one of the most liberal.

Of course it was....That's how you win a POTUS primary if you're a Senator and not a Governor.

you think his staff is running the show while, IMO one of the most inexperienced presidents in US history

What like Rahm? Of course. He's no amateur. Not to mention all the Clintonites hanging around. It will be interesting to see who replaces Rahm after the midterm. Probably someone a bit more amicable to the Reps.

continues to concentrate on the campaign trail. That I would agree on.

He doesn't care if he gets reelected or not. Michelle doesn't seem happy and it looks to me like they are setting up Hillary to make an ass out of Palin in a foreign policy debate if the Tea Party doesn't blow itself up this time around.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Look at his plans.....All the recent presidents governed in the center. Its that damn legacy thing you know.....

I believe you'd find many on the left that would disagree that GWB governed from the center, including the current president. Most of them are still campaigning against Bush and his policies (while continuing to use many of them), who hasn't run for an office since 2004. Bill Clinton, who did govern from the center after 1994, did not experience this phenomenon.

Also, while he did get his monstrous "health care reform" government insurance control plan pushed through (by hook or crook), he is still trying to sell it to a majority of people that don't want it. I feel that is likely to increase once folks start paying for it in five months. The tactics that worked so well for the community organizer seem to have a different effect on people as a whole, outside of his traditional constituents.

I mean the guy did want to drill baby drill on the east coast until BP screwed up. Did you miss that one?

I believe you give him more enthusiasm for drilling than actually exists. He had no problem almost destroying an industry completely, one that until the BP incident has been safe and productive, with the drilling moratorium, or did you miss that one?

When Obama was a senator, his voting record was one of the most liberal.

Of course it was....That's how you win a POTUS primary if you're a Senator and not a Governor.

IMO it was a huge risk for him. He didn't win over McCain by that much, which means if the overwhelming black vote didn't occur (i.e. remained at past levels), McCain would now be president, and his campaign was dreadful. Obama won on "hope" and "change" and very little substance.

I didn't have Rahm solely in mind, most of Obama's cabinet are on board with left leaning values... few in the center to more farther to the left. But since you brought him up, sure both he and Axlerod are probably the advisor's he listens to most. I don't believe Rahm will be going away after the mid-term. Personally while I hope the right picks up seats (or more moderate democrats replace those too far left) in a giant flush of congress (red and blue), I'm kind of hoping the Dems keep a slim control of at least one or both houses. Republicans saved Clinton's bacon in 1994, and Clinton moderated after that. I don't believe Obama will. His policies will have to take him out of office kicking and screaming in 2012.

He doesn't care if he gets reelected or not

Come on, sure he does! He has never left campaign mode since taking office.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Smoothseas

I mean the guy did want to drill baby drill on the east coast until BP screwed up. Did you miss that one?

NitroCruiser

I believe you give him more enthusiasm for drilling than actually exists.

Nitro is correct on that one. Obama said he would "open up" the exploration only - and that was after Congress basically voted to do it before he was elected. But the exploration was not drilling for black gold, just finding out what was there.

Smoothseas

He doesn't care if he gets reelected or not

NitroCruiser

Come on, sure he does! He has never left campaign mode since taking office.

I have to go with Nitro again. The laws that have been passed, and his performance to date indicate he cares nothing for the mid-terms, only for the 4 years. Health care - 2013 for the major impact. Stimulus (porkulus) - Still only about half spent (and the elections are here).

if he had his druthers, he would love to have his majorities for the next 2 years. But he has told us, through his mouthpiece, that he expects to lose that, and so is tossing them (congress) under the bus. I think his bringing up Bush by name is just practice for doing it to the next speaker of the house in 2 years. He is running against Republican X in 2012, not against Joe Republican House Candidate in 2010.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I believe the pre-election hype was for clean coal and other green venues and a reduction in our dependence on foreign oil. It was the hell with coal, oil and the Nukes and that dependency thing has somehow been bastardized to mean only no More US oil or coal production. I do not understand how anyone can fail to correlate coal and oil (and Nukes) with electricity but there it is.

When the primaries are mostly over, we will have a better feel for the ‘whom Vs. whom’ aspects and we can plot and plan more accurately. But you are right; it seems that they are promoting lame duck strategy rather than mounting stalwart stands for keeping their majorities.

Successfully updated karma reason!

But the exploration was not drilling for black gold, just finding out what was there.

Do you know what "Exploration" means? The east coast has already been surveyed. We already know where the potential for good wells are. Do you know that the BP drilling accident happened while drilling an "exploratory well"? Politically it's rhetoric used in very well crafted statements for those that are so far on one side or another of an issue never really see whats going on.

I do not understand how anyone can fail to correlate coal and oil (and Nukes) with electricity but there it is.

A missing part of your equation is natural gas. We have a lot of it, it is cleaner to burn than oil and coal and we can and do use it to produce some of our electricity. Personally I believe develope everything so that we can respond to any potential disruption in energy supplies. Right now oil and the combustion engine are the crippler. To keep the best wartime economy going the electric car gives us choices.....Natural gas, nuke, hydro, coal,wind and sun can all be used to support electric cars. It takes oil to run the combustion engine. Back in the day we used to run power plants on oil. We started getting away from that when we couldnt meet our own needs with domestic supplies.

I believe you'd find many on the left that would disagree that GWB governed from the center, including the current president.

You are correct in the first part. As to the second I personally would guess Obama thinks GWB was center right as opposed to center left.

if he had his druthers, he would love to have his majorities for the next 2 years.

Probably but history teaches us that that would probably not happen. They knew before the last election that if they controlled everything they would more than likely lose seats this time. In 2006 we knew the bubble would eventually pop and that it would more than likely be a jobless recovery.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Do you know what "Exploration" means? The east coast has already been surveyed. We already know where the potential for good wells are.

I highlighted the key term in your response. They know where to look, but not what is there. That does not occur until they drill exploratory wells, and that is all Obama allowed. Exploratory does not mean production, only finding out if production is warranted.

Do you know that the BP drilling accident happened while drilling an "exploratory well"?

No, that was production. Why do you think they took 3 months to cap it? They already knew the oil was there, they were drilling it to produce. Again, it was a proven reserve, where Obama was only allowing exploratory - find and then exploit. That is a 2 step process, not a one step.

They knew before the last election that if they controlled everything they would more than likely lose seats this time.

We are told every 4 years about mid term losses. yet while they do happen, they are not a given. But this one, I will grant, was a given considering the shenanigans the democrats pulled in 2008. However the magnitude of the losses is beyond their worst nightmares, and is in no way anticipated. Some, like Pelosi, are still trying to spin it that they will not lose control of the house (those who share her view are falling as fast as Obama's poll numbers). No one was ever predicting loss of the senate! But then no one would have thought the Kennedy seat would switch parties either. Yet the latter happened, and the former is not just mental gymnastics.

it is not that they will lose seats, it is the magnitude of the loss. Bill Clinton is smiling. His record in 94 is about to be overtaken so he can continue with his image rebuilding.

Successfully updated karma reason!

No, that was production. Why do you think they took 3 months to cap it? They already knew the oil was there, they were drilling it to produce.

This is where you are dead wrong. You use seismic boats to find where the oil is. This has been done up and down both coasts. Then you drill an exploratory well, cement it, and then come back to it with a production platform in order to produce the well. The Deepwater Horizon was an exploratory drillship. It was in the final stage of exploration which is to cement the well. You have to penetrate a resevoir and actually "strike oil" during the exploratory stage to know whether a specific resevoir has the necessary profit potential for a specific production project. Obama's moratorium was only for exploratory rigs which is what the Deepwater Horizon was, which would OBVIOUSLY be doing the same kind of things the Deepwater Horizon was doing. They will need to design and build a production platform for that particular well which will take several years.

yet while they do happen, they are not a given

This is true, you never know what game changers will come up leading up to an election. What is expected is the minority gains. I'm less optimistic than you though. I liked mixed government but I don't think the reps will get either house unless there is a substantial game changer between now and Nov. The right will scream about the border and the left will scream about Bush and they will fill that in with the day to day nonsense right up through Nov.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Smoothseas,

reply 15

No, that was production. Why do you think they took 3 months to cap it? They already knew the oil was there, they were drilling it to produce.

yet while they do happen, they are not a given

This is true, you never know what game changers will come up leading up to an election. What is expected is the minority gains. I'm less optimistic than you though. I like mixed government but I don't think the reps will get either house unless there is a substantial game changer between now and Nov. The right will scream about the border and the left will scream about Bush and they will fill that in with the day to day nonsense right up through Nov.

Successfully updated karma reason!

DG I do agree with Smoothseas, the rig was drilling an exploratory well (not to be confused with exploring for oil, which I believe is the base of the disagreement here). This well was to be capped for later use.

Personally I believe develope everything so that we can respond to any potential disruption in energy supplies.

Agreed, but then you say:

To keep the best wartime economy going the electric car gives us choices.....Natural gas, nuke, hydro, coal,wind and sun can all be used to support electric cars. It takes oil to run the combustion engine.

Oil is never, in the foreseeable future, going away. Electric cars are going to take a long time to reach parity to the combustion engine. Even the combustion engines get better and better all the time. Electric cars (and industry in general) still require oil (grease, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, plastics, paints, etc.). When they can make an electric car (not a hybrid) travel cross country and an electric truck with the load carrying and towing capacity of a gas or diesel engine, then they will have something going on.

We have (or could have) an abundance of other things you mention, natural gas, coal, and nuclear, but environmentalists block extraction of these at every turn. Additionally you have the "not in my backyard" crowd. People want the energy, they just don't want it produced near them or "it's too dirty". The AGW folks have a heart attack at the mention of coal, our most abundant fuel source.

Hydro - yeah that's a great source, too bad environmentalists don't want that either. It requires a little thing call a dam which could endanger some furry little animal or a fish. We (the US) are in the process of removing dams in the northwest so salmon can spawn. The chances of seeing anything like a new Hoover dam (built in the 30's) is slim because the same environmentalists that want us off oil also don't want to build dams.

Solar and wind - wonderful, however they are always going to have limitations until we can control the wind and weather. We are also seeing the NIMBY with these too. The same people that don't want to see an oil platform from the balcony of their Malibu Beach home, seems don't want to see a giant field of wind turbines ether. Environmentalists are up in arms over dead birds killed by rotors. Sunny Spain, is losing money hand over fist on their subsidized solar adventure.

Fission - Great when it can be developed many years from now. Though I suspect that will be NIMBY too.

Fuel cells- I love this technology... water as an emmission... who wouldn't? The problem right now is making the cell. It takes much more energy to produce the fuel for the cell than the cell delivers, which then goes back to the coal, nuclear, natural gas argument I stated above.

No we need to soldier on with oil for a time yet, before environmentalists eliminate the only current 100% reliable (due to location or access) source of energy. Yes lets develop the other sources, make them affordable and cleaner. Yes lets reduce oil usage. Just don't pop the balloon and then try to figure out a way to fly as you fall.

Energy rant over.

Successfully updated karma reason!

You use seismic boats to find where the oil is.

Again, that does not tell them what is there, only the potential that something is there. That saves a lot of dry wells, but does nothing to indicate if it is a puddle of molasses or a good field that will pay off.

I'm less optimistic than you though.

Actually, I voiced no optimism or pessimism on the outcome in November. I do not trust the democrats to be legal, nor the republicans to fight hard enough. So my "opinion" is that it is a crap shoot. Which would make my voice about as optimistic as yours. That does not mean I will not be happy if the republicans take over, I am just not going to bet the house yet.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Yes, and that is as far as Obama's lifting of the ban (which was already passed by congress in 08) went. in other words, they could drill to their hearts content, but not put any into production. That would have required another "decree".

Successfully updated karma reason!

Which would make my voice about as optimistic as yours.

Oh so you mean pessimistic about govt in general then?

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Smoothseas,

reply 20

Which would make my voice about as optimistic as yours.
Oh so you mean pessimistic about govt in general then?

Yep!

Successfully updated karma reason!

Fission - Great when it can be developed many years from now. Though I suspect that will be NIMBY too.

Obviously your schooling has failed in many areas, we already have several fission plants in this country. Fusion on the other hand, is still in the development phase.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Obviously your schooling has failed in many areas, we already have several fission plants in this country. Fusion on the other hand, is still in the development phase.

Yeah that's what I meant. Your mom and dad's video game purchases for you must have been wise ones. Thanks, now go look up communism and capitalism, since I'm still waiting for you to explain why you believe they are the same.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Nitro, you pretty much said it for me (reply #17). Put up or shut up, but don't ask me to return to the Stone Age because you have some fantasy of bliss without fossil fuel. The only man-made fusion device yet to achieve ignition is the hydrogen bomb, but you can just take a 93 million mile jaunt and pick up a handful for yourself.

Successfully updated karma reason!

As long as people continue to vote along party lines instead of actually learning about and voting for individual candidates the cesspool will never be drained.

When people finally get wise (if ever) and simply refuse to re-elect anyone regardless of party, then a clear message will be sent to those newly elected to Congress.

Imagine a few election cycles where not one single incumbent gets re-elected. That would be a powerful message indeed.

Successfully updated karma reason!