Sense and Nonsense

A Death Spiral

Iron Knee speaks:

An article in the NY Times points out with stark evidence what everyone already knows — our politicians are bought and paid for by large corporations and their lobbyists. More than a dozen lawmakers — both Democrats and Republicans — gave speeches that were written (sometimes wholly) by lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world’s largest biotech companies and a subsidiary of Swiss drug giant Roche. Genentech even went as far as to provide customized talking points for each party, and 22 Republicans and 20 Democrats obediently repeated them into the Congressional Record.

But that’s not what’s ironic. I’m sure these politicians feel that if they don’t take money from large corporations and do their bidding, then their opponents will. And the same thing is true of the corporations. Corporations are loathe to spend money if they don’t have to, so I’m sure that they feel like they have to funnel money into the campaign chests of politicians and lobbyists, because if they don’t their competitors will.

It is the end result that is truly ironic. By being “pro-business” for narrow corporate interests, the government actually makes the economy worse, hurting business. And by accepting money from corporations, politicians who desire to govern this country squander their ability to do so.

It is a death spiral we have gotten ourselves into. Will we be able to get out of it before it is too late? Don’t look to the mainstream media to help — they too are bought and paid for by large corporations who care only about the bottom line, which ironically is also killing them.

As I noted below (spurred on by the NYT article to which he refers), I despise the lobbyists and the legislators. 

Legislators

But we don't. Instead, we have a pack of craven toadies, bowing and scraping to the so-called right-to-life lobby.

Pas de Deux

The legislators and the lobbyists.  Scumbags all. Good lord.

Cartoon by Nick Anderson

Kennedy Should Resign

I don't like Jeff Jacoby, the Boston Globe's most conservative columnist.  Most of the time, his column is filled with contemptible drivel.  Cant.  Tripe.  But on Saturday he had a column that made sense.  He wrote that Senator Ted Kennedy should resign his seat in the Senate.  I agree.  

For all of his expressed concern that Massachusetts should have full representation in the U.S. Senate, Kennedy is not there, doing the job.  He is in Massachusetts, trying to fight the brain cancer that is stealing away his life.  And that's what he should be doing.  But he shouldn't pretend -- nobody should -- that he is representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Washington. He's not.

It's typical of the Congress that its members exempt themselves from the kinds of requirements they impose on the occupants of upper-level positions in the executive branch.  No president or cabinet officer who is in as bad shape as Teddy Kennedy or Robert Byrd would be permitted to continue in the job.  Kennedy and Byrd should step aside. They're no longer fit for the job. 

A Pathological Relationship

© Jim Morin

Insurance Industry: The Worst of Them All

Gross Stupidity

Well, nobody ever accused members of Congress of being too bright.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Chuck Grassley's Debt and Deficit Dragon
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

Too Bad for Congress That Size Doesn't Matter

Perversions of Democracy

The huge donations that corporate lobbyists pump into the campaign coffers of members of Congress make a mockery of basic democratic principles such as political equality.  You can find fresh evidence of this in the newspaper almost every day. Today is no exception. 

From the New York Times, we get this story about a physician-owned hospital in a poor part of Texas that has managed to protect itself from unwanted provisions in pending health-reform legislation by slathering legislators with a thick spread of campaign cash.

And from the Washington Post comes an article that begins with this:

The Democratic-controlled House is poised to give the Pentagon dozens of new ships, planes, helicopters and armored vehicles that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says the military does not need to fund next year, acting in many cases in response to defense industry pressures and campaign contributions under an approach he has decried as "business as usual" and vowed to help end.

Scumbags.  All of them.  Lobbyists and legislators.  The lowest of the low, sucking each other constantly to maintain the steady flow of dollars.  (How's THAT for righetous indignation -- not to mention really fine writing?!)

Totally Dysfunctional Nitwits