Congress: We Need You to Lead
There are very few times when we've faced so many challenges. Uncertainty in the economy, expensive and deadly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 45 million people without health insurance, high unemployment, financial and corporate disasters, a climate crises with irreversible consequences, record budget deficits and a broken political system that exacerbates the problems because too many politicians care more about their own re-election than solving problems.
Hunting down campaign contributions, personal greed and a quest for power are the driving forces of too many politicians in Washington. This isn't new. The so-called campaign finance reform of the 1990's and the many corruption scandals that plaque Congress, have done nothing to fix a broken system.
Not one of the 535 members is prepared to fix it. But if we don't address the core problems within this political institution, how can we solve the huge problems our nation faces?
Can we afford to stake our nation's future on a Congress cemented in a never-ending cycle of bad behavior? Can those who run this broken political system even begin to fix a complex and broken health care system?
So what do we do?
Should we throw them out? Do we shut down the national political party committees, outlaw high-priced professional lobbying and ban political action committees once and for all?
It sounds extreme. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
Is it too much to ask the politicians to stop the name-calling and the year-round re-election campaigns and start working together? Is it too much to ask for these self-titled leaders to lead?
For the sake of our country, the people who desperately need health care or a good-paying job, for the generations that come after us who will be stuck with our mistakes and for our place in the world - is it too much to ask these people to put their heads down and get to work?
As a reminder, Senators and Congressmen, you are accountable to us. We pay your salary. We give you the best health insurance money can buy. We pay to chauffer you around and for a secure retirement. We hire you. And we can fire you.
You show up for work a few days a week, dine with fancy lobbyists and take taxpayer-funded junkets around the world. Maybe we could live with that if you solved a few pressing problems along the way. But you failed to solve our country's problems, and therefore you failed us. Maybe it's why the latest Gallup Poll shows that 72% of the American people aren't satisfied with your job performance. Clearly I'm not the only one.
So, before it's too late, show us leadership and start finding solutions to our many problems. Honestly, it's not too much to ask.
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Steve,
Thanks for the commentary - it was spot on in my opinion. I hope this gets National attention, word for word. I'm pretty sure I know what our future looks like if it doesn't.
The so-called campaign finance reform of the 1990's and the many corruption scandals that plaque Congress, have done nothing to fix a broken system. Not one of the 535 members is prepared to fix it. But if we don't address the core problems within this political institution, how can we solve the huge problems our nation faces?
There in lies the problem. We need publicly funded political campaigns. We need to ban lobbyists from reading/writing legislation prior to passage. We need to stop the flow of money from Wall St. to K street. Until we do that, we will not see any change. None of the incumbents are willing to be the first to stand up against the hands that feed them. None of them have the moral certitude to do what is right - they all sold their souls to get where they are, and don't want to buck the system. No one person can effect change, not even the president. It now appears that the supreme court, stacked by you know who, is going to allow even more money to flow in the wrong direction. Obama promised to change things and got caught up in the riptide of hate sponsored by the status quo.
What congress needs to do is represent the people and not the companies that donate to their campaign war chests. Some of our representatives actually do that. But corruption is what it is - I imagine it is extremely difficult to turn down the temptation of all that loot just waiting to be pocketed. It is a true test of self discipline to be able to do that - obviously most the members of our congress have very little self discipline. It will take more than a few good representatives to change this system - a public up rising will have to happen.
A classic example will be the health care bill. It will be sold to the public as a good deal by congress, the president and the media but in the long run tradition will prevail. It will benefit the health insurance companies and we will continue to receive health care that is substandard and expensive.
“Not one of the 535 members is prepared to fix it. But if we don't address the core problems within this political institution, how can we solve the huge problems our nation faces?”
You might start by making public, who is contributing what, and to whom. Allied with their voting record. If any are unwilling to provide that information, simply make that circumstance known. So that voters can draw their own conclusions from any display of reticence.
Possibly change the way remuneration is paid. So that voting slips display a tick box. Should voters consider, that the efforts of the previous incumbent deserve a reward.
Throwing them out is inadequate. We have to make an example of them. They should all (perhaps not Sanders, Kucinich, Grayson and Paul) be thrown in jail.
Congress? Lead? Oh that's a good one.
Thank you for saying what a lot of us are thinking. Now, could you talk to your old boss and see if he can fire them up and get them ready to go?
Yeah. Ask them to lead us somewhere other than bankruptcy and war.
His previous boss, our President hasn't led us to bankruptcy or war. That was the previous guy, Bush!
"Should we throw them out? Do we shut down the national political party committees, outlaw high-priced professional lobbying and ban political action committees once and for all?"
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Thank you for saying what I was going to say!!! Saved me from typing all that...:)
And, may I add that I LOVE that movie!!! The actress who played Zuzu was from my state originally, but she was lucky enough to get out (sigh). She's still going strong, though!
Agreed.
I shudder to think what Congress will actually do as no matter which party they all have someone, some PAC or lobbyists they "owe" to and will place above the common person as they are showing us and have been showing us for months now. We as people, human beings have basic health needs which most cannot afford and the insurance companies have had thei own "death panels" and clerks making life saving or death giving decisions for as long as they have been around. The insurance companies are putting so much money into the fight againest reform and to promote the liars and Congress people to not pass the bills we need for us to live the best and health lives. Tis is not just about us adults, it is more about the kids as they will continue to not get the health care they need to become health adults and if they do get seriously ill they might not live to adulthood. There were clerks making decisions about my daughter before she died and my father before he died.
But Congress has been leading. How do you think we got in this mess in the first place?
Congress? Lead?
You want those myopic narcissists to lead?
Heaven help us all.
Better to send every one of them on a research junket to the Pacific to investigate salt-water snails, this way they won't sell us out, won't ignore their constituents in favor of the last lobbyist to pick up the bar tab, won't project one image while engaging in dubious behavior.
Congress leading? That'll be the death of us all.
Great post Mr. Hildebrand.
If they're not going to lead, our congresspeople need to at least FOLLOW the public they are supposed to be serving. And they need to quit serving the corporate interests that still manage to win their loyalty time after time. The collusion between the insurance industry, for example, and the Blue Dog Dems, "moderate" Dems, and Republicans is blatant, and infuriating.
Watch Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on health care tonight, his entire show. It's a call to action.
They had a chance today to take a stand against Rangel, but they're too gutless to take action against one of their own. Im sick of the do as I say not as I do routine. When will it end.
I'm sure the Ethics Committee will take care of Mr. Rangel.
"Congress we need you to lead"... you see... we don't hire them to lead... we don't hire them at all... we only cast a vote... which ..theoretically is the determining factor of who gets into Office... but for a long time now I've thought -- that isn't how they get there, it's not what they care about in finding a way there... and certainly once they do get there, many care only for themselves (note how many pay raises they have granted themselves int he past decade for example), and they often "vote the Party" they belong to... instead of "Vote the Constituency" that they represent.
Few in Congress or the Senate care about the American 'People' because we have no part in putting the in that seat ... and they know it. We have let this Act ... go unheralded, unfixed, and uncared about for too long... so yes, Mr. Hildebrand... I agree with you... I voted for Mr. Obama to fix this... but even he seems powerless to stop it, or curtail it... and seems more like the movie... "Mr. Smith goes to Washington"... I'd like him to stop it... but I think it will take an Army... a 50 Million Person March on Washington and the State's own Assemblies to do something about it... and we're not getting any younger or better, just discussing it here...
Absolutely agreed. We need Congress to lead.
Because Obama won't, or can't.
It doesn't matter much why, in nine months he just hasn't - he's still campaigning to be the popular guy, as if he is Prom King or something.
YOu missed the point of the article. Read it?
The article is missing the point as well. Obama fails to lead in many ways. Congress is bad enough, but they need to be lead as well, that is where a strong President comes in. Obama has been going the polite route for a bit to long and he needs to get busy pushing the agenda and the congress in PUBLIC not just in closed door meetings.
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