Tom Daschle and the Populist Revolt

[dbackjon]

Tom Daschle's surprise withdrawal today shocked most Washington insiders -- after all, Daschle had been a key figure in the Senate, was Obama's pick for a major role in the new administration, would very likely have done a superb job getting a new health-insurance system enacted, and, probably could have mustered enough votes to be confirmed. So what happened? My guess is that official Washington underestimated the public's pique at what appeared to be the old ways of Washington. Hill staffers tell me that many offices have been inundated with telephone calls, emails, letters and faxes expressing concern (to put it mildly) about Daschle -- not only his failure to pay back taxes but his relationships with major players in the health care industry and rich consulting contracts with the private sector since leaving the Senate, and even the fact that he was given a car and driver by one of them.

What's going on here? Maybe official Washington, much like most of Wall Street, is still not quite getting it.
Typical Americans are hurting very badly right now. They resent people who appear to be living high off a system dominated by insiders with the right connections. They've become increasingly suspicious of the conflicts of interest, cozy relationships, and payoffs that seem to pervade not only official Washington but our biggest banks and corporations. In short, many Americans who have worked hard, saved as much as they can, bought a home, obeyed the law, and paid every cent of taxes that were due are beginning to feel like chumps. Their jobs are disappearing, their savings are disappearing, their homes are worth far less than they thought they were, their tax bills are as high as ever if not higher.

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[Appaholic]

Good articla....He nailed it....the natives ARE restless....at least until the next installment of American Idol

[Col Hogan]

He's nailed....the natives ARE restless....at least until the next installment of American Idol

Some of us don't watch Idol...they're in deep kimchi...

[HI54UNI]

Good riddance to Daschle. Hopefully we can get rid of more. I hope everybody remembers this in two years at election time. It is time for a major house cleaning.

[catamount man]

Good riddance to Daschle. Hopefully we can get rid of more. I hope everybody remembers this in two years at election time. It is time for a major house cleaning.

Or an armed revolution to take back OUR government. Don't laugh as it may happen someday.

[grizzaholic]

Good riddance to Daschle. Hopefully we can get rid of more. I hope everybody remembers this in two years at election time. It is time for a major house cleaning.

Or an armed revolution to take back OUR government. Don't laugh as it may happen someday.

This might be a really simple idea, but why don't we start from scratch again. Take people that the local communities trust and put them in office. Or maybe make it so you can only be a senator or congressman for 6 years or 8 years then it is only local, city, politics if they still want to hold office. I know I know, I am not versed in this political stuff, but I didn't think it was too far off from the two ideas above.

[AshevilleApp]

Or an armed revolution to take back OUR government. Don't laugh as it may happen someday.

This might be a really simple idea, but why don't we start from scratch again. Take people that the local communities trust and put them in office. Or maybe make it so you can only be a senator or congressman for 6 years or 8 years then it is only local, city, politics if they still want to hold office. I know I know, I am not versed in this political stuff, but I didn't think it was too far off from the two ideas above.

Mr. President, you have some good ideas there. In fact, term limits have been discussed frequently in the past. My problem with them is that if they are imposed, we are only increasing the power of the federal government to dictate choices to the states. Voters should throw the bums out themselves if they aren't happy with their actions. If some state or district actually likes their elected official, they should be allowed to keep them.

[dbackjon]

We have term limits for State Senate/House here in Arizona, and I don't like them. The only thing it did was to increase the power of the lobbyists, who now are the only constant in the capitol.

[Appaholic]

"Take people that the local communities trust and put them in office."

That's what Congress is supposed to be....

"Or maybe make it so you can only be a senator or congressman for 6 years or 8 years then it is only local, city, politics if they still want to hold office."

...and this is the purpose of HOR elections taking place every two years...

No matter how you slice it, the ultimate burden for the shape of our currently sh!tty government lies with us, the voters...

[ASUMountaineer]

I think a long term limit could be beneficial. Like 3 terms in the Senate and 9 terms in the house. Both equal 18 years, that should be enough time to get your agenda accomplished. In addition, I like the idea of having the president only allowed one 6 year term. Four years may not be enough, 8 too many. Also, he (she) doesn't spend part of the third and most of their fourth year in office running for re-election and having to answer question about the opposition.

[grizzaholic]

I think a long term limit could be beneficial. Like 3 terms in the Senate and 9 terms in the house. Both equal 18 years, that should be enough time to get your agenda accomplished. In addition, I like the idea of having the president only allowed one 6 year term. Four years may not be enough, 8 too many. Also, he (she) doesn't spend part of the third and most of their fourth year in office running for re-election and having to answer question about the opposition.

Great post!

[grizzaholic]

"Take people that the local communities trust and put them in office."

That's what Congress is supposed to be....

"Or maybe make it so you can only be a senator or congressman for 6 years or 8 years then it is only local, city, politics if they still want to hold office."

...and this is the purpose of HOR elections taking place every two years...

No matter how you slice it, the ultimate burden for the shape of our currently sh!tty government lies with us, the voters...

But every guy in capitol hill is a lying, cheating, stealing, POS crook. We need to clean house, never will happen......HEY CITDOG

[Appaholic]

"Take people that the local communities trust and put them in office."

That's what Congress is supposed to be....

"Or maybe make it so you can only be a senator or congressman for 6 years or 8 years then it is only local, city, politics if they still want to hold office."

...and this is the purpose of HOR elections taking place every two years...

No matter how you slice it, the ultimate burden for the shape of our currently sh!tty government lies with us, the voters...

But every guy in capitol hill is a lying, cheating, stealing, POS crook. We need to clean house, never will happen......HEY CITDOG

He's too busy standing on a street corner throwing keys to a GM vehicle at every passing auto in the hopes that they will drive it off the lot and he can file under insurance.....and possibly get repeat customers in the future....

[grizzaholic]

But every guy in capitol hill is a lying, cheating, stealing, POS crook. We need to clean house, never will happen......HEY CITDOG

He's too busy standing on a street corner throwing keys to a GM vehicle at every passing auto in the hopes that they will drive it off the lot and he can file under insurance.....and possibly get repeat customers in the future....

It sucked to hear that he got fired from his bell hop job down at the motel.

[Appaholic]

He's too busy standing on a street corner throwing keys to a GM vehicle at every passing auto in the hopes that they will drive it off the lot and he can file under insurance.....and possibly get repeat customers in the future....

It sucked to hear that he got fired from his bell hop job down at the motel.

With everyone buying foreign autos, Citdog was unable to park and got downsized....gotta stay up-to-date with technology if you're working the curb.....

[AshevilleApp]

I think a long term limit could be beneficial. Like 3 terms in the Senate and 9 terms in the house. Both equal 18 years, that should be enough time to get your agenda accomplished. In addition, I like the idea of having the president only allowed one 6 year term. Four years may not be enough, 8 too many. Also, he (she) doesn't spend part of the third and most of their fourth year in office running for re-election and having to answer question about the opposition.

Potentially a good idea about the president. I can't agree about congressional term limits though. As bad as I dislike many of them, it should be up the voters, their direct constituents, to get rid of them. And it should happen early and often, in my opinion.

[ASUMountaineer]

I think a long term limit could be beneficial. Like 3 terms in the Senate and 9 terms in the house. Both equal 18 years, that should be enough time to get your agenda accomplished. In addition, I like the idea of having the president only allowed one 6 year term. Four years may not be enough, 8 too many. Also, he (she) doesn't spend part of the third and most of their fourth year in office running for re-election and having to answer question about the opposition.

Potentially a good idea about the president. I can't agree about congressional term limits though. As bad as I dislike many of them, it should be up the voters, their direct constituents, to get rid of them. And it should happen early and often, in my opinion.

Then why have term limits for the president? If you can argue to keep Congress around indefinitely (so long as elected) why not the president? I don't see how it's good for the president, but not other elected national officials.

[Appaholic]

Potentially a good idea about the president. I can't agree about congressional term limits though. As bad as I dislike many of them, it should be up the voters, their direct constituents, to get rid of them. And it should happen early and often, in my opinion.

Then why have term limits for the president? If you can argue to keep Congress around indefinitely (so long as elected) why not the president? I don't see how it's good for the president, but not other elected national officials.

Because Congress is elected by majority popular vote as direct representatives of the people. President is elected by Electoral College, which does not have to abide by the popular vote.

[AshevilleApp]

Potentially a good idea about the president. I can't agree about congressional term limits though. As bad as I dislike many of them, it should be up the voters, their direct constituents, to get rid of them. And it should happen early and often, in my opinion.

Then why have term limits for the president? If you can argue to keep Congress around indefinitely (so long as elected) why not the president? I don't see how it's good for the president, but not other elected national officials.

Given the choice between all of one or the other, I'd take no term limits for either. The reason I saw some good for one longer term for the president was to reduce the amount of campaigning by a sitting president.

Congress is different. We elect them to serve both national and local interests. Members of congress gain more influence as they get reelected, and thereby can do more potential good for their district or state. If the voters decide that this is important enough to them to repeatedly send someone to congress, I don't see it as a bad thing.

[ASUMountaineer]

Then why have term limits for the president? If you can argue to keep Congress around indefinitely (so long as elected) why not the president? I don't see how it's good for the president, but not other elected national officials.

Given the choice between all of one or the other, I'd take no term limits for either. The reason I saw some good for one longer term for the president was to reduce the amount of campaigning by a sitting president.

Congress is different. We elect them to serve both national and local interests. Members of congress gain more influence as they get reelected, and thereby can do more potential good for their district or state. If the voters decide that this is important enough to them to repeatedly send someone to congress, I don't see it as a bad thing.

The problem is that people don't vote the way you describe. Name recognition is the #1 aspect of electability. That is why the incumbency rate is, at any time, at least 90%. Not because they are doing a great job, but because people know them. I am not saying that they should serve one term in Congress and then done. But, I don't see any reason someone should be a 42 year senator. That's ridiculous.

[ASUMountaineer]

Then why have term limits for the president? If you can argue to keep Congress around indefinitely (so long as elected) why not the president? I don't see how it's good for the president, but not other elected national officials.

Because Congress is elected by majority popular vote as direct representatives of the people. President is elected by Electoral College, which does not have to abide by the popular vote.

While true, that wasn't law until FDR. If the president serves at the will of the "people" as we say, then he too should have no term limit. I understand the argument of the EC, but only twice has the EC and the PV been different. So, while possible, it's not probable that the EC would not reflect the "will of the people." Nevertheless, I'm glad there's a term limit on the presidency, and I have no qualms about a term limit on Congress, provided it is not too limited. Like I said 18 years, or even 24 would be sufficient for me.