If "Lobbying" on the Congress/Senate was made illegal, what would be the effects - Would it be a + or - ?

WHAT????
You want truth in politics???????????
Not possible. Too much money in too deep pockets to go around.

It gores too many oxen to pass.......

The only hope we have is the obscure passage of a bill in the senate and house that says, among other things.......

Is that no member of the house or senate should be governed by laws aside from those that they pass upon their constituents.

It won't walk.

Because it also calls for the dissilution of any and all 'special' trust funds and requires our politicians to toss their lot into the SS fund with the rest of us.

Should, but shall never happen. As long as the politicians govern their own fate rather than the taxpayers.........it just ain't gonna happen.

Duh, does ANYBODY see something wrong with this process??

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"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

If "Lobbying" on the Congress/Senate was made illegal, what would be the effects - Would it be a + or - ?

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With only 3 days to go till the election, Romney still seems "policy challenged". He does however appear to say whatever his audience at the time wants to hear. I doubt that even his closest confidantes have any idea what he would actually do if elected.

A Hypothetical.
What would be the reaction of the arch-conservatives on these boards be if Romney was elected and he....
1) Decided to keep "Obamacare".
2) Raised taxes on the 1%
3) Boosted Federal spending to create jobs
4) Reeled in the Federal Reserve and the financial establishment in general.
5) Increased minimum wages to a liveable level.

Afterall, as a governor, he did show some quite "liberal" (by current conservative reckoning) tendencies.

At the minute, it's obvious he will say anything to get elected. BUT, just what is his real agenda ?

T.A.

Watching today's debate it is clear that Mitt wants to install puppet governments in the mid east.

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Do you admit the point that the politicians in DC have been "influenced" by a constant stream of well funded lobbyists from the financial sector and other areas (...is an understatement...) and that this is one of the main reasons no action has so far been taken ?

Another way of asking that very same question is, "Do you believe there is corruption in DC?"

Do you really need to see me answer that question?

ok.

YES.

Now, which side is more subject to corruption is a subject of debate. But I believe it'll serve no purpose to bother trying to agree on anything there because some people in here look at the exact same thing, but describe completed opposite things.

I believe the first step to recovery (if a recovery is still possible) is to do a budget in accordance with the law. <---- I'm being very gentle on how I word that statement because I don't want to offend any Obama supporters in here. Romney has alluded to the fact that we need to do a budget, but hasn't outright stated it. I believe that'll be one of the first things he demands from congress. That'll be a start in the right direction. (Now, if that's not reaching out and being civil to the folks who call me names and put down everything I say in here, I don't know what is.)

Hi, Guy!

The problem with that statement is the "poor" are going to have less just as much as the "rich" are going to have less.

That I agree with. To get America out of this mess everybody will have to hurt. The problem is will the politicians have the gumption to admit that there will be short term suffering for the long term good. Or will they sit on their hands until total collapse forces them to act.

If they take the second approach it could be very messy indeed. Particularly when there is nearly a million battle hardened, unemployed and resentful veterans in the country.

EDIT

Who do I blame? I don't blame anyone in D.C. I blame the voters. I blame short-term thinking inflamed by the catalysts on the ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, Comedy Central, and BET news programs.

Do you admit the point that the politicians in DC have been "influenced" by a constant stream of well funded lobbyists from the financial sector and other areas and that this is one of the main reasons no action has so far been taken ?

T.A.

For Guy. Since there is no justification for cutting taxes during wartime nor to the extremely wealthy for 10 years. claiming job creation when they did not create anything but a bigger bank account doesnt count.
using this justification, I'd say my math is in league with republican rhetoric on why they should have taxes as low as the working class.

for 45% I will guarantee the wealthy that they have a country to live in and roads that their chauffeurs can drive them around on. Cutting taxes to the wealthy is a disincentive for doing more. Why work harder if I can just have my taxes cut and still get the same amount of money in the end.

Wait a tick that sounds like Republican speak for the poor. Hmmmm maybe when they were talking about the poor they actually meant themselves

BTW 45% is a starting point. If things don't get better at that rate then it gets to go 5% higher every 2 years until it does get better

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

It really disappoints me the the Republican backers who have posted on this thread have had nothing constructive to say. They just keep singing from the same old hymn book and they are fixated on the tax rate payable by the top 1%.

BAZ is a republican, and one that I'm on board with. I'm a democrat sure, but in this day and age I'm on board with many Republicans of before my time (pre-Reagan).

BAZ HAS proposed some good ideas and does so on a regular basis...

And I believe Barry said specifically: Raising taxes on the 1% is not enough "it's a dream to think it is" (I paraphrase)

Ah, here it is:

I think that can be achieved only if there is a bipartisan sense of governance. Go after a long term 20% decrease on the spending side (that is down to 19% to 20% of GDP -- as GDP grows the amount of the budget can grow). Get revenues up to historic rates (20% of GDP). That can be done -- but not if (like the Democrats push for) the only revenue moves are directed at the wealthy (ie those making more than $250K a year). If you revert dividend income to 'regular' income status that will help as well.

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#resist

It really disappoints me the the Republican backers who have posted on this thread have had nothing constructive to say. They just keep singing from the same old hymn book and they are fixated on the tax rate payable by the top 1%.

Fact: The US government has to increase revenue

Fact: The US government has to cut expenditure

Fact: Even the complete abolition of all Social Services would not save enough money to balance the books.

Fact: Therefore the US government (either party) has to look for a balanced way to raise revenue. Income tax is not the only way of doing this. There is raising company tax, raising the rate of royalties payable by mining and oil companies, even legalising and taxing marijuana.

Mr DeWoody, Guy et al. What are your honest and well thought out solutions to the problem ? Singing from the Tea Party song book or knocking the Democrats is NOT a solution. This problem existed before Obama became president. Bush's two unfunded wars have as much to do with the situation as anything Obama has done. Surely you do not think that every member of the 1% got there by hard work and building businesses from the ground up. A lot of the newer members got there by speculation and rorting an already corrupt financial system.

Which ever party gets the Presidency and control of congress after the November elections they have a hard road in front of them and a lot of people are going to be upset. The juggling act will be to make sure everyone is upset equally. How will/should Romney accomplish this ?

T.A.

Bob, from the campaign that Mitt has run, I think that he has demonstrated he has the inept thing well in hand.

I think Mitt will save America by continuing to run a singularly inept campaign which will tilt the election away from Teapublicans -- not only for President, but also for the down ticket (Senate, Congress and state offices). If that happens it would be the most patriotic thing Romney has done in his life.

HAHAHAHAH! :-D

This one was rich with humor guys. Thanks for the laughs everyone.

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#resist

Romney doesn't have to save America, he just has to not give it away. No President can "save" America but an inept President can contribute to it's downfall.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Sadly -- so true. The thing is, folks are looking for budget realism. From what I've seen the Democrats are slightly -- but only slightly -- more realistic -- at least they *talk* about budget cuts along with the revenue increases. The Teapublicans seem to be Norquistified regarding tax increases of any sort.

Barry, shame on you, trying to logical or pragmatic does not seem to be part of today's politics.

William, I guess the Republicans moved away from me with the religious right and Reagan. I am inflexible on separating church from the state.
You are correct, being that way is not the way to get ahead in our current society.
A wise person once told me "There are only two things which can not be taken from you. "Your education and your integrity."

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LOL I guess I must be middle of the road then, I pretty much voted R until my early 40's then I gravitated to mostly D the last 25 years or so.
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If you are not Democratic when you are young you have no heart. If you are not Republican when you are older you have no brain.

You are a candidate for the wizard of OZ. Maybe you should change your name to OZfan, Er perhaps OZfan2

I know you're an intelligent man, William, but when it comes to politics, why do you tell the simple stories? (Follow the link, rethink Occam's Razor.)

P.S.-Hi, Guy!

LOL I guess I must be middle of the road then, I pretty much voted R until my early 40's then I gravitated to mostly D the last 25 years or so.
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If you are not Democratic when you are young you have no heart. If you are not Republican when you are older you have no brain.

You are a candidate for the wizard of OZ. Maybe you should change your name to OZfan, Er perhaps OZfan2

Barry, shame on you, trying to logical or pragmatic does not seem to be part of today's politics.

+1!!!
(Hi, Guy!)

Barry, shame on you, trying to logical or pragmatic does not seem to be part of today's politics.

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