Is There Any Doubt Our Representative Republic is Dead?

[Jeremy Roenick]

I mean really.  We've had 20+ years of Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama rule and now we stand at the verge of bankruptcy.  Legislating TO the people and not FOR the people.  Doing away with Congressional rules and voting decorum in order to Legislate AROUND the people's will.  We have politicians who talk a good game to the people, while protecting the corporate and banking cartel interest and keeping their own power structure/money flowing...

This one chart says all one needs to know about the completely CORRUPT two-party system that we have in D.C.  So principled Conservatives...  Is a vote for Romney, Perry or any other establishment flavor of the month really a vote for change and freedom?  I dare think not.  The only way to restore our republic is to get someone outside this influence structure.  Until Conservatives and specifically Christian Conservatives throw away the illusion that voting for someone like Perry is what God really wants, they need to take a long hard look at this graph and understand the Borg-hive and the Goldman Sachs tentacles really do CONTROL THE WORLD and SET POLICY.  These politicians get their walking orders straight from the mouth of GS and that IS POLICY.

This is why I support Ron Paul. His money comes from the PEOPLE, not the corporations.  For every million dollars RP raises he has 1000 fold more contributors than someone like a Mitt Romney.  That is the problem with our country, and why we've been sold out as a nation for around a price tag of 1.18 Billion Dollars over the last 20 or so years.  Not a bad price tag for GS to rule the "free world" eh?

[NCVol]

As usual, I like Ron Paul's principles, but think his proposed solutions are delusional.  Here's his views on campaign finance:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/paul13.html

The so-called reform legislation being proposed is clearly unconstitutional. The First amendment unquestionably grants individuals and businesses the free and unfettered right to advertise, lobby, and contribute to politicians as they choose. More importantly, the Constitution does not grant Congress the power to regulate campaigns. In fact, article II expressly authorizes the regulation of elections, so the omission of campaigns is glaring. While some in the media have raised First amendment questions, few seem to understand that Congress clearly lacks the constitutional power to regulate campaigns at all.

Campaign finance reform really means more regulations, more controls, more telling the American people how they can spend their money and how they can lobby Congress. Your freedoms should not be restricted because some politicians cannot control themselves. The problem is that there are members of Congress who yield to the temptation and influence of money, who effectively sell their votes to those who can give them money and keep them in office. If enough members did not yield to the temptation, they would not have to posture with phony campaign finance reform bills and they would not have to undermine the Constitution.

We need to get money out of government. Only then will money not be important in politics. Campaign finance laws will not make politicians more ethical, but they will make it harder for average Americans to influence Washington.

So, his solution is to make it a free for all, with conglomerates and Wall Street, sitting on trillions in cash, able to dump $millions in a campaign to defeat anyone who opposes their interest unfettered and legally. 

And then he HOPES that politicians, who respond to incentives like any economic actor, ignore the $millions they can get for nothing by simply voting in agreement with the money boys, and just do the right thing.  In this same reality, we all live in peace and get ponies and lollipops, and on Christmas day Santa brings us all presents. 

The guy drives me crazy.  I can't believe a person who has been in Washington for decades is stupid enough to believe that Congressmen will ignore the clear incentives of MONEY and vote against the interests of people who WILL, in an unfettered environment, dump $millions into campaigns against them.  They're doing it now, and we see the results.  Seems to me the clear response is to EFFECTIVELY limit campaign contributions OR counter them with public money.  Compared to the cost of government, public financing for every seat in Congress and the WH would be trivial, no more than a single overrun on a bloated defense contract, per two years. 

This part makes me laugh:  "Campaign finance laws will not make politicians more ethical, but they will make it harder for average Americans to influence Washington."

Yeah, allowing GS to funnel $100 million into the next WH race makes it EASIER for the average Joe with his $100 contribution to make his voice heard

[MRM]

I would hardly call Ron Paul and outsider. He may be out there, but he's no outsider.