Arlen Sphincter...

[Steelharp]

... has been puckered. That is all.

[Guest HvyMtl]

Um, jumping over to the Dems, as it would be "easier" to get re-elected, and saying so to the media, pretty much sank him. He needed to go.

[leroy]

It's a great day for America when self-serving double talking political trash like Specter are sent into retirement.

Thank you Demorat voters of Pennsylvania!

Leroy

[Oh Shoot]

It's a great day for America when self-serving double talking political trash like Specter are sent into retirement.

Thank you Demorat voters of Pennsylvania!

Leroy

He was no worse than the rank and file in either party, really.

Elitist, amoral, duplicitous, self centered. Likely felonious.

You know, your standard biz as usual pol.

He physical looks and brusque demeanor epitomizes the part of the backroom corrupt wheeler dealer more than most, but he was more the symptom of the system rather than the cause.

- OS

[Mike.357]

I hope his loss is a precursor of all incumbents getting the boot.

It really would be better to start over.

[Oh Shoot]

I hope his loss is a precursor of all incumbents getting the boot.

It really would be better to start over.

If they can, I daresay that some of these "anti career politician" pols will wind up serving as long as the bums they threw out.

- OS

[Guest oldsmobile98]

If they can, I daresay that some of these "anti career politician" pols will wind up serving as long as the bums they threw out.

- OS

OS, you gotta stop with the incessant optimism. Please tone down all the pie-in-the-sky talk about happiness and ponies and come back to earth.

[leroy]

OS:_________

...OS, you gotta stop with the incessant optimism. Please tone down all the pie-in-the-sky talk about happiness and ponies and come back to earth. ...

Blessed are the extreme pessimists. They shall not be disappointed!

Keep up the good work!

Kind regards,

Leroy

Edited May 19, 2010 by leroy
spelling!!!!

[Oh Shoot]

OS:_________

Blessed are the extreme pessimists. They shall not be disappointed!

Keep up the good work!

Kind regards,

Leroy

The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet. - Damon Runyan

"The Soviet Union had a single, entrenched, systemically corrupt political party, which held a monopoly on power. The U.S. has two entrenched, systemically corrupt political parties, whose positions are often indistinguishable, and which together hold a monopoly on power. In either case, there is, or was, a single governing elite, but in the United States it organized itself into opposing teams to make its stranglehold on power seem more sportsmanlike." - Dmitry Orlov

- OS

[USMCJG]

The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet. - Damon Runyan

"The Soviet Union had a single, entrenched, systemically corrupt political party, which held a monopoly on power. The U.S. has two entrenched, systemically corrupt political parties, whose positions are often indistinguishable, and which together hold a monopoly on power. In either case, there is, or was, a single governing elite, but in the United States it organized itself into opposing teams to make its stranglehold on power seem more sportsmanlike." - Dmitry Orlov

- OS

So I guess we should just leave well enough alone, and not try to change anything at all, eh OhShoot? If we get rid of all the incumbents and let the new people become lifelong politicians while ignoring the will of their constituents, we'll have no one to blame but ourselves. It is up to us to change the game, accepting that which is unacceptable is not a valid course of action.

[Oh Shoot]

So I guess we should just leave well enough alone, and not try to change anything at all, eh OhShoot? If we get rid of all the incumbents and let the new people become lifelong politicians while ignoring the will of their constituents, we'll have no one to blame but ourselves. It is up to us to change the game, accepting that which is unacceptable is not a valid course of action.

You won't change the ensconced two party system.

It can no longer happen.

The only hope is to completely take over without either of those corrupting influences, and make drastic changes once in power, and cut the tendrils of corruption that enable what has become tacit tyranny by elite rule. Since it now takes at least a billion dollars to elect a president, I don't foresee much changing there (we really shouldn't even have the Prez elected by the people; we should end this laughable American Idol contest, but that's just a part of the whole problem.)

As long as the current system of the money flow into elections and through lobbyists on Capitol Hill, and no term limits so that a pol's job can be bought, there will never again be a "for the people" rule.

I keep thinking that if just ONE electable pol, like Rand Paul, would divorce himself from the existing party influence and just declare as an independent, I would have a glint of optimism. But he won't, so I don't.

The "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" motif is no longer a possibility.

If men like Paul must have the GOP's support to win, nothing will change.

He, along with even a dozen like him, won't change the party; he'll only be diluted and corrupted, and if that isn't possible, simply neutered.

At best he'll rise to be the same type "maverick" that they ran last time around.

We've "thrown the bums out" for a long long time. Except for the ones we don't.

Either party is happy to accept new Mr. Smiths.

- OS

Edited May 20, 2010 by OhShoot

[USMCJG]

You won't change the ensconced two party system.

It can no longer happen.

The only hope is to completely take over without either of those corrupting influences, and make drastic changes once in power, and cut the tendrils of corruption that enable what has become tacit tyranny by elite rule. Since it now takes at least a billion dollars to elect a president, I don't foresee much changing there.

As long as the current system of the money flow into elections and through lobbyists on Capitol Hill, and no term limits so that a pol's job can be bought, there will never again be a "for the people" rule. We really shouldn't even have the Prez elected by the people; we should end this laughable American Idol contest.

I keep thinking that if just ONE electable pol, like Rand Paul, would divorce himself from the existing party influence and just declare as an independent, I would have a glint of optimism. But he won't, so I don't.

The "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" motif is no longer a possibility.

If men like Paul must have the GOP's support to win, nothing will change.

He, along with even a dozen like him, won't change the party; he'll only be diluted and corrupted, and if that isn't possible, simply neutered.

At best he'll rise to be the same type "maverick" that they ran last time around.

We've "thrown the bums out" for a long long time. Except for the ones we don't.

Either party is happy to accept new Mr. Smiths.

- OS

Don't forget that Rand Paul did not have the GOP's support. The state Republican party supported his opponent. He won anyway and now the party has to support him even if they didn't want him. This is how you change the parties, from the bottom up. You can't change anything in the general elections, you can just choose from the two or three choices you have available. But if you get involved in the primaries, you can help decide who the parties run in the general election. You have a say in choosing the direction of the parties. There were actually a couple of people who won their respective parties primaries without the support of their state and national parties yesterday. I think this is a step in the right direction. A small step to be sure. But a step in the right direction none the less.

While I can certainly understand your frustration and pessimism, just giving up is not an option. JMHO.

[Oh Shoot]

...

While I can certainly understand your frustration and pessimism, just giving up is not an option. JMHO.

Sure it is.

Check back in 25 years, if that option still exists.

I'll keep voting, just for the illusion, and the "right to beef", but I'm just mostly watching America as a dispassionate contemporary historian now.

- OS

[Mike.357]

we get rid of all the incumbents

this should be the mantra everytime there is an election

[leroy]

All:____________

OS Quote ...You won't change the ensconced two party system.

It can no longer happen.

The only hope is to completely take over without either of those corrupting influences, and make drastic changes once in power, and cut the tendrils of corruption that enable what has become tacit tyranny by elite rule. ...

Remember the great Homer Stokes speech in that great film classic "OH Brother": "...We aim to pull up evil by the roots!..." .

Having agreed with that course of action; heres a "corrupting influence changer" and a "elite ruling class eliminator" from the past. Check 'em out here: Axis History Factbook: Gallery: Freikorps The pictures are great!!

We might oughta start using some of these tactics on politicians who won’t mind. Remember the Freikorps Motto (...loose paraphrase...)..."Better to shoot a few innocents that to let one guilty get away!..." This philosophy stops all the apologizing for inadvertently doing the wrong thing.

Another public service message from Leroy.

Enjoy

[Chief07]

It's a great day for America when self-serving double talking political trash like Specter are sent into retirement.

Thank you Demorat voters of Pennsylvania!

Leroy

Arlan Spinktor was just a useful idiot. Any one who pushed the "single bullet" theory during the Warren commission is an idiot.

Sestak ain't much better then Arlen. We can only hope that Pat Toomy ® can defeat him in November and we gain another seat.

I long for the moment "Queen Nancy" gets the boot.