”While I Have You’re
Attention”
Partisan Politics and Filibusters

I would assume the vast majority of our senators and congressmen have at least a rudimentary collage education and I’m sure many are licensed attorney’s at law.

These people have been selected by those of us that vote to govern our country for a variety of reasons ranging from a nice ass, to patriotism, to a genuine ability to get things done by making changes they see fit to better and make safer all our lives. For this discussion, I’ll put them all in one category: Educated, experienced, and concerned leaders.

Lets look at a two party system for now putting aside religions, large corporations, campaign contributors, the media, and President Heston.

Republicans and Democrats differ widely on many subjects which in itself is good as long as the primary objectives are not lost in endless debate. When we elect a congressmen or a senator to represent us in our government, we also elect the party he or she represents. Many of us vote their party across the board no matter who is on the ticket…Smart!

On occasion, one of our representatives will leave a lifelong affiliation with the Democratic or Republican Parties and for any number of reasons, switch to the other. I’m hoping the majority of these cases are policy or issue related and not for career or personal considerations.
In either case, a move like that takes guts and a sense of individualism as opposed to the obvious “go with the flow” attitude in both parties. This is where my problems lie.

I have observed many congressional and senate voting sessions on television over the years and more often than not, the issues were anything but black and white. Yet more often than not, Republicans voted 100% Republican and Democrats voted 100% democrat.There’s something radically wrong here. Where are the individual minds we elected to represent us? Or did we? Are they all obliged to vote the parties wishes and not the individuals? It would seem that way wouldn’t it? These people are supposed to be representing the
needs and wishes of the people on a district or state level. How is it the parties wishes prevail over the individual member wishes when it comes down to voting? You can’t tell me each of the party’s member’s thinks exactly alike yet vote tallies are usually 100% in favor of the party.

Its called Partisan Politics. I call it a major waste of time, money, resources, and a shameful supression of the best minds our country has to offer. There are few strictly Federal officials in our government as opposed to State representatives. Although most elected officials collectively decide our Federal issues, they are in fact local and state representatives of the people and should not be obliged to vote for their organizational convictions as opposed
to their own personal beliefs which is obviously the case.

Partisan Politics undermines individual potential, and suggests our elected officials be subservient to the parties wishes rather than those of the people of the state they represent. If a political party cannot survive on it’s own collective merits than it deserves to be replaced by one that can. It has no right to survive by the nationwide dumbing-down and intellectual suppression of its members.

What’s the point in having hundreds of representatives voting the party line? Hell all we need
is one congressman and one senator, say, for each timezone. We could pay off the national debt in a month. Ten reps nation wide would still produce the same vote result right?

That said, let’s move on to the second political atrocity; Filibusters!

Have we a legislature of spiteful, stubborn children or intellectually capable grown-ups? Why do our learned representatives allow filibustering to continue?

Of all the stupid, money wasting, time consuming, and non-productive political activities I am aware of, filibustering has got to take the cake. One would think the practice would be abolished if for no other reason then the sheer boredom it must produce.

You elected officials aren’t being paid huge saleries for a half years work to play kid games, Your there to make decisions, laws, settle disputes, draw conclusions, plan, protect, and better our country as efficiently as your salaries would suggest. For any one of you to deliberately waste all that time, all that money, and literally bring our governmental procedures to a screeching halt, is nothing short of childish, stupid, and disgraceful. Blackmail describes the practice perfectly. If you can’t have you’re way through normal procedures, then you resort to what amounts to a child holding up a baseball game because the referee called him out at third base and he refuses to get off the damn field.

This procedural blackmail can continue for years and in fact, it’s going on right this very moment. Must I remind you people of your sizable paychecks, endless benefits and privileges? You weren’t elected to play games while your country desperately awaits your decisions in so many fields. Banish filibustering and we’ll all be a lot better off .

Not too long ago all the representatives of one party left the God damn state so they wouldn’t have to vote, If it were up to me, when they got back, they would all have been looking for new jobs. Limit individual speaking time like any other responsible forum, It’s that simple!

Now that I let the cat out of the bag here’s a few other political items that desperately need changing:

You can start by spending the tens of millions of dollars you throw away every four years on food for our hungry children rather than the humongous parties you call conventions and countless other merry-making assemblages. Which is more important? Feed the children first, cure the ill first, and educate the illiterate first. Then you can party till you puke for all I care. Order an extra jug of Chivas for me, I’ll bring my guitar.

The same applies to traditional political campaigning. It is no longer necessary and an incredible waste, period! Few of us are without TV’s and radio’s these days and
those that are, won’t be voting anyway. Hundreds of millions of dollars are wasted every year if not billions on traditional political campaigning. There was a time when stumping around the countryside was a necessary way and the only way to give the public the opportunity
to get to know they’re political candidates. Not so anymore!