On Massachusetts and Blazing Saddles

Our federal legislators got a wake up call this week. Because of the election of a Republican to Ted Kennedy's seat and the ensuing flurry of activity I was reminded of the classic Mel Brooks movie from the 70's, Blazing Saddles. In that movie Governor Lapetomaine, played hilariously by Mel Brooks, utters the words after realizing he must do something in his job "Gentlemen, we have to protect our phony baloney jobs."

Now we see in real time and in real life our legislators doing the same thing. What was once and idea (health care for all) that must be done now has changed into maybe less is now more. All because of one election. If it was a necessary thing why would one election change that? Fight for what you want or get out of the way and on with your life's work. I think the real work here is to protect their jobs.

We hear about how populism is such a silly and easy thing. We are not really deep thinkers and leaders if we take a populist opinion. Whatever happened to government of by and for the people. Isn't that a populist statement???

What we saw unfold this week should be a wake up call to everyone. Vote them out, all of them because all they are protecting is their phony baloney jobs. That is the special interest in this discussion. We have the power and it is time to exercise it. Give our leader a new team. We have a new player from Massachusetts and I hope he becomes an All Star. Let's get a few more bats in the line up along with some good pitching and see if we the people can't start winning some games.

Vote Them all Out

Thomas Jefferson spoke volumes about service to one's country. He knew that being in Congress was not meant to be a career.

"All can be done peaceably, by the people confining their choice of Representatives and Senators to persons attached to republican government and the principles of 1776, not office-hunters, but farmers, whose interests are entirely agricultural. Such men are the true representatives of the great American interest, and are alone to be relied on for expressing the proper American sentiments." --Thomas Jefferson to Arthur Campbell, 1797. ME 9:420

He also knew the dangers of special interests:

It [is] a cause of just
uneasiness, when we [see] a legislature legislating
for their own interests, in opposition
to those of the people.—
The Anas. Washington ed. ix, 118. Ford ed., i, 200.
(1792)

Vote them out all of them. Take some time out and read Jefferson. He warns us all. We need to exercise our power.

Vote them all out!!!!!!!

Who knew I would get an assist from two U.S. Senators. Senators Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota have decided not to run for reelection. Hooray!!!!! That is two down and 98 to go. What was Dodd going to run on anyway, his record?

As far as the House of Representatives is concerned this November all 435 seats are up for grabs. As I have said before vote them all out. It is the only way we can send a message that this is a country of, by and for the people. Congress was meant to be a position of service and not a career. Do them a favor and send them all packing and let's return to the service concept as that was the intention the designers.

Keep checking back for further updates. Hopefully there will be more.