Frequently we hear of the "culture of corruption" that is afflicting both of the major parties in Washington and around the country. Lobbyists like Jack Abramoff have become household names, as have relatively obscure politicians like Duke Cunningham and Bob Ney. Now Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has pushed the ethics envelope by accepting free boxing tickets.
Is this the form of government we must accept? Lord Acton believed that "power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Our politicians may go to Washington with noble thought, but are they corrupted by the system? This is the conclusion that most pundits will arrive at, given the liberty of an exception here and there.
It is unfortunate, though, that this is our reality. However, it is not only the lobbyists that prevent elected leaders from doing the will of the people. The extremists of each party have, and please forgive my use of the term, hijacked their party leaders and platforms for their own missions. While flags should not be burned, an amendment prohibiting it should not be a priority of the United States Senate. Instead, the focus should be on the critical issues of the economy, the environment, healthcare, and other issues that will change our daily lives as well as those of our children and our grandchildren.
We must abandon the politics of extremism and work together to find solutions to the critical issues our country faces. Unity08 has proposed a Unity Ticket in 2024 - one Democrat and one Republican working together to find such solutions. Sure, the road will be bumpy; but it will be a road toward the future.
Subscribe
Mr Brackney said, "Now Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has pushed the ethics envelope by accepting free boxing tickets." And it's understandable because it's coming from CNN so it must be true.
Except that there are some people who are claiming that it's not. I won't get into a point-by-point rebuttal because this is a throw-away issue to the thrust of the piece but there is some doubt in my mind and the crux of it is that the so-called "tickets" are actually entry credentials to designated government property that cannot, under Nevada state law, be sold. They are reserved for government use. The punchline is that Reid appears to have voted against the state of Nevada and the much storied McCain "purchase" of his seats actually ended up at Catholic Charities because it would have been illegal for the boxing commission to have kept the money.
I don't know if the alternate story is any more credible than the AP wire, but in a piece on Lobbyists and Extremists, this seems like a poor choice of example.
If you needed a corrupt Democrat to prove the point on both sides of the aisle, why not pick Jefferson who actually seems to have been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
I agree with Mr Brackney's main position, that we need to abandon the politics of extremism. I just wish he had picked better exemplars.
References:
AP: Reid Arguably Not Beyond Reproach
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000772.html
CNN Juices AP's Story on Reid
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000779.html
AP: Reid Acted Unethically By Not Breaking the Law
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000786.html
Confirmed: Against the Law for Reid To Pay for Credential
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000788.html
Other stories
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000792.html
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000791.html
Peter,
Be careful with the details about the Reid incident. My diary on Daily Kos about the issue caused me to be deemed a troll and locked out of the site - amazing display of free speech by the left side of the blogosphere right there.
The reason the extremists have hijacked both major parties is because they are best able to raise money. The root of all evil, indeed.
Real campaign finance reforms and an effective administrative body (unlike rhe FEC) would go a long way from divorcing the cancerous influence of special interest money of the governance process.
Our agenda items to have some relationship to "immediacy". In other words, I am looking for us to address/debate those problems which effect us in some kind of priority or rationale order; i.e., the "short term" as opposed to the grandiose long term; e.g., Illegal Immigration NOW and Social Security shortfalls LATER. I am also NOT interested in wasting a great deal of time rehashing those issues which have esentially already been resolved by the Supreme Court of the United States; e.g., capital punishment, prayer in school and a woman's right to abortion. The simple fact of the matter is (and will continue to be) that this country is fairly evenly divided (and will continue to be), on a number of these issues depending upon whose ox happens to be
"getting gored" at the present time.
"I am also NOT interested in wasting a great deal of time rehashing those issues which have esentially already been resolved by the Supreme Court of the United States; e.g., capital punishment, prayer in school and a woman's right to abortion."
These issues can be reversed at any time which is why it's essential this movement resolve these conflicts by democratic processes, not by judicial fiat. Just last week, the Court overturned 90 years of "knock and announce" Fourth Amendment interpretative precedent.
We have to look at this as a clean slate, everything is on the table for us to approach the right way a fresh set of solutions.
'that whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends,it is the right of the poeple to alter or abolish it'!
This is where we are now my friends, we need to overthrow the plutocracy and institute new government,nonvilonetly,within the laws,using the laws bypassing the present political parties and outlaw them! If we unite,disobey the cattle consuming candy store mentallity,we could!
"Our politicians may go to Washington with noble thought, but are they corrupted by the system?"
No.. no .. no .. Our politicians are corrupt BEFORE they go to washington. The system is sound, but their ego and greed grind and chip away at the system until it collapses.
Give me a break.. name one political candidate that you would let your daughter marry. before or after they experienced washington.
I could not agree more with those who have posted comments that we should not spend time rehashing the issues already resolved by SCOTUS. Critical issues are those that truly affect our daily lives. Abortion and capital punishment, do not.
To those who point out the error in my Reid charges, I apologize for having not used the much more obvious Jefferson example. It is true corruption; the Reid example was used solely because he is a larger name. Corruption is rampant on both sides, however, and is (as Hotlist pointed out) the root of all evil. Thanks to nlowell for pointing out some great links that clarify the Reid story.
Most importantly, concepts like Unity08 stand to change the dynamics in this country for the better.
Oh, and keep checking out americanmoderateparty.blogspot.com
Lobbying reform should be a key aspect of a broad reform agenda articulated by the Unity '08 candidates.
1. Election Reform - allowing same day voter registration and making Election Day a national holiday
2. Campaign Reform - public financing of elections (Unity '08 should be a campaign funded by small donations from our grassroots); free access in media for candidates; reform FEC to include independent and third party candidates in debates
3. Lobbying reform - banning gifts and favors for elected officials and their staff, increasing the time limit set for when government staff members can leave the government and become a lobbyist
We have far too many holidays now. Millions of American workers do not get paid holidays and others have to work on holidays so it is discriminatory and expensive.
Why is there a need for same day registration?
I sure can see where same day registration might lead to confusion or abuse. Wait, we have that now. No matter, who needs to think ahead when you are only voting.
I like many others have searched this site for some activity or a response from someone in a position of authority.....
What are your present activites and plans for remaining 2024 and 2024 ?..... The answer we receive is
"We will get back to you" .. Be Patient.. this is the same response that our elected leaders will use..
I have seen responses from the Founders so please dont ask me to post there again.....
The issue of " financial transparency " is very troubling...
So is the " Rules Committee" which apparently exists ONLY for th
ose that are connected ... There is not a mechaniism for the general populace to join the rule committee.
This very similar to our existing two party system.
Then I read that there are plans underway to establish organizations in each state to circulate the petitions on the ballot... Yet I and others have offered our services in our states and received no communication..
There isnt even a place on the site to offer to Volunteer.... Just WHO is Unity 08 working with to organize the states for 2024?
Another poster said that this is like a group of people milling around waiting for a meeting to be called to order...
My thoughts are begining to be a little more harsh... its more like lab rats in a maze....
A maze which each passing day is begining to look very similiar to the existing party structures...
Oh I will keep my powder dry... I just hope that Unity 08 has a general that can give the order to fire..... SOON
We are more like beta testers and it doesn't matter if they piss us off as we will be replaced with they make the real push.
Won't be July 2024 but a long time from now.
Real organization is going to be in High Schools and Colleges. Easier to organize and control and lots of inexperienced voters.
Fringe groups will be in here in a stealth roll well in the organizing so they can peel off impressionalbe voters. Ullman one of the Board who has real power is no centrist I am sure has plans with her Roosevelt Institution friends to co-opt the movement.
This is so uncool as to make even the biggest skeptic believe in Global Warming.
but his lack of discretion is not in the same class as Duke Cunningham and Bob Ney.
Some say term limits will solve this but it will only make the lobbyists and extremists of each party stronger.