Hi all!
I believe the perfect storm is a’brewin’. The elements are coming to a head. Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen many corrupt politicians exposed for their debauchery, bigotry, lies, and plain ol’ pay-to-play corruption.
Yesterday, Joe Wilson added his name to the list of politicians who really don’t represent America or American values. Since when is it ok to heckle the President of the…wait; since when is it ok for a CONGRESSMAN to heckle the President of the United States – GIVING A SPEECH TO THE NATION ON THE SENATE FLOOR??? His behavior was undeniably despicable and most certainly unAmerican.
The ongoing spinelessness of the democratic party has allowed the storm to increase in size for months. Last night’s insolence demonstrated by the republican congress has kicked it up to hurricane strength.
The reaction by the public has been notably remarkable. Wilson’s leading opponent, Rob Miller, has become an overnight sensation, as his supporters have generated several hundred thousand dollars in one morning. This activity clearly illustrates the citizens of the nation are ready to ACT.
So, when people are ready to act, they must have something to actually DO. Of course, ideally this would be something PRODUCTIVE to do. THIS IS WHERE MY “PLAN” COMES IN.
Yes, I have a “plan”. Did you expect any less of me? It is multi-phase of course.
First, I am building a website. Ooh, a website?; you may scoff. Stay with me. The site will at first have two primary functions: 1) to identify every congressman – representatives and senators, for every state; and to give them a ranking on the “corrupt-o-meter”. We must identify who the bad eggs are in our congressional basket. 2) to identify trustworthy candidates in each district to replace the bad eggs.
The site will be open to the public, who will contribute information about the incumbent candidates, positive or negative, which will form their corruption “rating”. The public will also “nominate” the people they believe are trustworthy individuals with potential to run for public office. Once we identify the people worth electing, we will work together to promote, endorse, and support these people.
The site will NOT BE PARTY DEPENDENT. I am sick of the words Republican and Democrat. They have become labels that mean nothing other than to be used as divisive epithets. I do not intend to create a new party; but simply to identify trustworthy Americans who will promise to do what is right for American citizens as a whole.
Does this sound ridiculous? Then YOU are not who I am looking for. But if this sounds like a great idea, IF it was feasible, then read on. There is obviously more to my “plan”, and of course, the structure of the website is critical to its success. I will not lay it all out here, as I don’t want someone to run away with my idea…unless it would also do what I intend. I am not interested in becoming famous, I am interested in saving our nation from itself. I believe there IS a way to do it. The public has never had so much power, than before the existence of the internet. One person finally has the power to reach every part of the nation, as surely as I am typing these words, and you are reading them. The technology exists to do the job. We are no longer restricted by the extremely high wall that is campaign finance.
Americans have lost faith in govt. The reason is clear: the system has been corrupted by corporate and elitist influence. The money flows in, the politicians party like rock stars, and the public watches their tax dollars squandered on saving the elite from their own bad business practices. This must stop.
Govt need not be large. But it should be effective at maintaining balance in our nation. When abuses occur that affect the public as a whole, it is the function of govt. to resolve that abuse. It is time for us to ACT, and address these abuses, together as one nation, indivisible.
The elite have been running our country into the ground for the sole purpose of increasing their profit margins. This must end. We voted for CHANGE in 2008, and that was a start. But we have learned in the last 9 months that DC requires more than a new president. It requires an extensive sanitizing, starting with the halls of the Capitol building.
Please contact me if you have EXTENSIVE web design experience, and would like to volunteer to work on this project with me. (You must be 31337 and know what that means). You must also have the same passion that I do about our nation’s current state of affairs. If you’re interested in what my views are, please read my articles here at planetPOV.com
I am not a Democrat or a Republican; I do not have an agenda short of helping the people of our nation to recover from the pillaging and plundering we have suffered at the hands of elitists. They have manipulated our laws to work against us. The time has come for us to act. We MUST take our govt. back. It will be OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, AND FOR THE PEOPLE once again.
Please help me make this a reality. Volunteer at: ofbyandfor@gmx.com
Please describe your qualifications including links to sites you have created, blogs you have written, etc. If you once believed in “yes we can”, well, here’s your chance to be part of that “we”. But “can” isn’t enough anymore. This time, it’s “yes we WILL.”
You know, I like to think of the democrats “spinelessness” more as being level headed.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve called many a democrat a wuss in my time, but that’s in the heat of the moment when I am upset and annoyed with the way things are going.
I think that president, and the democrats, want to keep their eye on the ball. While the republicans are busy throwing mud, watching to see what sticks, the democrats are trying to accomplish something. 1-3 years from now, that will mean more.
I agree with you. I think the democrats are civil. I also think they’re very corporate, and what we might see as timidity is really an affinity for big business and big money. The progressive caucus is not timid, is not ambivalent.
I grew up around political people and I know they are smart. They know exactly what they’re doing. And they have an certain disdain for people who are not in the political system What they do in front of the cameras is not who they are. It’s who they are for the public. Very different things.
Your idea is very exciting. I’m a webmaster, but I had to look up 31337 so I don’t know if I’m the person you’re looking for. But I’m glad to pitch in where I can. I have started my own site, SKIM, that simply lists the accomplishments of this administration. I noticed there was no place on the web where one could go to see an easy summary of what congress and the president were doing.
You’re right — this is a time where one person can have an impact without needing billions of dollars to do it. It’s a great idea. I’m looking forward to seeing your project come to life.
One more thing, a way to take action right now, MoveOn.org has a petition on their website which I recommend supporters of the Public Plan to sign. Here is a little bit of their email, click the link to sign the petition at their site:
THIS IS A GOOD THING. i have signed it.
reading this? you should too.
Done. Thanks for the link. I’ll probably update my post with the links to contact the white house, congress and sign petitions. We must all act all the time. We sent about a dozen emails to the white house before the speech and I think with the thousands of others the white house got it helped define what the president wants with healthcare reform more definitely.
until WE take over. KQ, i’m tired of the facade. We both know that career politicians only care about keeping that seat of power, so the money will keep flowing in. We know secretly, they’re all republicans. They’re all elitists who look upon the public as a herd of ignorant sheep. We’re expendable. CEOs see us as a line-item expense.
I’m done turning a blind eye to the greed, and I’m done complaining. It’s time to ACT. WE THE PEOPLE can do this. Everyone knows SOMEone who would be a trustworthy political candidate. Someone who will take office for a little while, work together to write the laws necessary to clean up govt., and then go back to their regular lives. I would do it; I suspect YOU would do it too.
There ARE trustworthy people out there. We must identify them, and publicize them in their district or state so that other rational people like us can vote for them when the time comes. THIS CAN BE DONE. I believe enough people are fed up and ready to act as well. I want the proposed website to create the structure, so that the public can focus their action effectively. Identify the bad ones and make them known. Identify great replacements and get them into office. Then the second phase will come into play: democratic, public creation of bills via internet poll.
I agree with most of what you say. I just think we can build on the progressive Dems rather than tearing down the system and starting over again. I’ve said before because we don’t have a parliamentary system it gives third parties no access to power. In fact if there was a third party need in this country it’s a party to split conservative Dems off into what they are Republican lite.
Also the only way progressivism can grow is through legislative success. If nothing changes it will not spark the rise of anti-corporate progressives. It will do the opposite and get more corporate Republicans in office like it did in 1994.
Our goals are the same. Our methods are different my friend.
My perspective is different because I worked within the system for decades (corporate America). As a chemist who developed products for the paper industry I fought the fights for more environmentally sound products. I can proudly say I assisted in getting one segment of papermaking to switch from nasty non-biodegradable alkylphenol ethoxylates to the same environmentally friendly alcohol ethoxylates used in Europe. It was not easy either because very few regulations and cost considerations did not help my efforts so it was an uphill battle. The only thing I had going for me was the fact that I worked for European companies most of my career and they had a longer term global perspective so I had global management behind me but still had to convince US management. So I know firsthand you can change things from the inside.
Hmm…just one more question on the Joe Wilson outburst.
Has a white president ever been screamed at by a white southern Congressman during an address to Congress, “You lie!”?
one thing i thought about that declaration. not “you’re lying”, but “you lie”.
isn’t that how you’d talk to your dog? it’s quite derogatory to express it that way. it’s certainly reveals something about how he feels about our President.
the comments i’ve read from congress members quoted indicates no one has ever shouted out in a speech to heckle the president before.
Exactly my point, that is how you would talk to a dog or a slave, someone or thing that you felt was inferior to you.
Wilson’s from SC, a terribly racist white population marbled through the state. And as we’ve seen with Sanford there too, lying hypocrites (who are often racist) are the ideal Republican politicians there.
As I’ve mentioned before, I think it is a brilliant idea and though I’ve got my hands full with this site, family and career, I would be happy to be a consultant for you on making this a reality.
As well, I would be pleased to cross promote such a site on PlanetPOV.
Keep me updated and don’t hesitate to ask me questions or for advice in setting up the site.
Ad, your site is excellent, and I promote it every day when i comment on other sites. Of course, i only suggest it to people i recognize as rational thinkers.
i am very glad to have an opportunity to express myself here, and thank you for it. This site, as well as the attitude and actions of the public, who clearly want more from govt. than what we’re receiving, have motivated me to create a new site.
I would be very happy to affiliate with this site, as I believe we share the same goals. America can be a great nation when we stick to our core values and beliefs. Everyone remembers how we came together as a nation on 9/11/01. We will tap that inner righteousness again to restore our nation. I’m not looking for socialism, I don’t want equal for everyone. But I do want FAIR, and that’s possible in a democracy, not a corporatist oligarchy.
thanx Ad!
Thanks for the kind props!
I join you in your goals.
It would be great to have a huge and ongoing Obama-like internet-driven, grass roots fund that represented the people and only financed candidates who would see the citizens as their sole “special interest”.
Would dovetail nicely with what you propose.
Stranger things have happened…just ask our president.
no kidding. it’s interesting how certain things come to the forefront and find popularity. before today, i never heard of actblue.com. seems they’re raking in money for this guy Miller. But they bill themselves as a democratic candidate fund raising entity. I WILL NOT AFFILIATE WITH A PARTY. too many people hold allegiance to “team names” even if their team has morphed into something they don’t actually represent. a perfect example of this is that foolish young McCain girl. she states she holds a bunch of “liberal” values while maintaining the title “conservative”. those words mean nothing to me. i believe in right and wrong. those are the two parties today, and i’m in the former.
That sounds like a great idea. But I have to wonder to me that outburst showed the chasm between the parties. One party has a thoughtful, intelligent and respectful leader. The other party is a group of liars who have no solutions so they continue to spout lies. Face it there are no Representative Dingles on the Republic side of the aisle. That being said I think it’s only a good thing to keep both parties honest because like it or not they are running the country.
my reply to you is above as a general reply. doh!