For those who watch the news, my home state of Assachussetts is in a hot election for dead kennedys old gin soaked seat. I went and volunteered for the non socialist marxist and made phone calls. About 90% of the people who I spoke to said they were going to vote for the American. Made me feel "proud of my country for the first time" ! Who was it that said that the last time? Oh well, then I went to a bar to have a cold one and a couple were sitting there so I asked them who they were voting for... they said they don't vote. I bet there the first and loudest ones to piss and moan thou. bevis H.O. is flying in special just to add some flies(and acorns) to the ointment. Oh Boy!

Elections & opinion polls are really strange things. Some say whatever it takes to make you go away, others are weak and just agree while others are ready for a fight but sleep through election day. Go figure. This works best when informed citizens make their choice and then actually vote.

the thing I gathered from the people I spoke to were is that they are pissed off and very enthusiastic about getting our country back on track.

Another Dang 9 wrote:the thing I gathered from the people I spoke to were is that they are pissed off and very enthusiastic about getting our country back on track.

Lets just hope it's not lip service and everyone truely does take this as serious as it is. I'm afraid, if not, our way of life is going to be very short lived with the present administration and mind set in DC. Thomas Jefferson was right.

Another Dang 9 wrote:the thing I gathered from the people I spoke to were is that they are pissed off and very enthusiastic about getting our country back on track.

<sigh> Which track is that? My politics are left of most folks here, but since you're from Massachusetts it confuse the hell out you to say I'm a liberal - I've turned down jobs there because y'all are nuts!

A suggested read is "War is a Racket" by Smedley Butler. Yes, that Smedly Butler. It has definitely made me more neo-isolationist.

And yes, Jefferson was right - "That government is best that governs least." Any company or industry that actually needs government help or is seen by large numbers of citizens as being so badly managed that it would benefit from government involvement should be deeply embarrassed. Even the worst ideas will find some support, but when lots of us agree that it is a problem, then folks, it's a problem.

BB If your saying you voted for Bevis I can't belive your a gun owner.

Democracy can present us with some piss poor choices, can't it? Politics are always fair game for discussion, but the ballot is secret, although easily guessed.

Both parties have reality distortion fields between themselves and moderate voters, but check my previous comments here if you really want to know - no secrets. Put me in a room of conservatives and they think I'm a liberal, but stick me in a room of east coast liberals (please - no! ) and I'm a raging conservative. For selfish reasons I hope some kind of health reform passes before the Democrats lose Massachusetts, but it's always bad for the country when one party has this much control, let alone a super majority.

In this state stalin, lenin and marx were just bush league wana-be's. My conservitive friends think I'm a radical right winger There may be some truth to that but I'm not alone here. I have some friends who still march 18 miles at 2am to lexington on april 19th and their not even part of the regular event. If you want some info on the health care deal it started here in Ma. and its a mess. I'm in a union and found out they worked a special deal on friday so our "cadilac plan" will not be paying the 40% fees, not for a few years anyway. The dem thats running just got 1/2 a mil. from big pharma and HMO lobbyists too. sound like the dems are really after them? ya right! If they really want to fix health care give us what they have and it'll be fixed tomorrow.

Stepping on the health care industry - primarily insurance & pharmaceutical - would help a great deal but you're right - they've bought their "Get Out of Jail Free" cards the old fashioned way. After that some careful tort reform would help. "Make Whole" is an important principle, but let's take some of the profit out of tragic mistakes.

Public health care will need funding, so place the tax burden on those items that increase health care cost. Make unhealthy life styles more expensive and healthy life styles cheaper.

How do you fix it?
1) Eliminate all Lobby groups in Washington and State Governments
2) Term Limits
3) Government (Congress) gets the same Health care plan they vote for the rest of the US, including eliminating their Social Security and retirement perks
4) Did I mention Term limits....?

I'm not a fan of term limits because I've seen too many capable state level politicians forced out. On the other hand, a tenure system has some appeal. After ten years, your accomplishments are reviewed and you're allowed to continue running or you're not. No guarantee you'll win, just permission to run.

To borrow from Bill Gates, "Make them eat their own dog food". Social Security, 401k and Medicare since that's the national health care we do have.

Lobbyists... Rust on the ass of democracy. Heck, a company can't stop a middle manager from taking too many perks from sales representatives - total amateurs on the lobbyist scale. Personal ethics matter or they don't and damned if I know what to do about it.

term limits whould have been a great idea to get rid of peolpe like dead ted. they call it the kennedy seat here not the peoples seat. and as far as lobbyists don't forget that the NRA is a lobbist group too. If there was real transparency like b.h.o. said there would be maybe we could have real reform not this crap were told to eat.

Term limits, yes the term limits will force some out but it will prevent the Kennedy seat, Pepper seat, and on and on and on.
Term limits....then get back to work as a real citizen and earn a living like the rest of us.

Mary

Okay, what does this crowd think a good limit is?

Anyone think of a way to word a law that effectively makes it illegal to be a career politician?