I awoke this morning and the headlines were indicating that you Senator Dodd, and you, Senator Dorgon, would not be seeking re-election. Bill Ritter in Colorado was also not going to run for re-election as Governor, and other elected officials that happen to be Democrats were choosing not to run again for public office. For weeks you have all watched as your poll numbers tanked and your campaign funding dried up and you have been asking yourselves, “Why is this happening?” Part of the problem is that you are even asking the question.
This country is about to witness a shake up of the Democrat and Republican parties, and in the process the two major parties will be given a very important lesson on how this country works. Hopefully you will learn that you work for us, We the people! Keep us happy and you are re-elected, start treating us like children and telling us you know what is best for us and you will see us voting you out of office and sending you on your way.
It is really quite simple.
Congress, your job is to make laws, control money, declare war, and some other stuff. Mr. President, your job is to protect and defend the Constitution. You execute the laws created by Congress and you have veto power over laws you don’t like. You spend money budgeted by Congress, create treaties, and some other stuff like deciding when the flag should be flown at half-staff. You, Justices of the Supreme Court, are the supreme arbiter of laws in the United States.
Congress makes the laws, the President executes the laws, and the Supreme Court enforces the laws. Simple. So as long as you all do what you are supposed to do and don’t step around any laws We the people are happy.
So what happened in the Fall of 2009? I am not talking about the election of Barack Obama. A few years back Congress wanted more of We the people’s votes, so they created laws to make sure anyone who wanted a house could have one, whether they could afford it or not. Organizations from Main Street to Wall Street backed the loans for the houses with pressure from Congress. And we all know what happened next: People couldn’t pay mortgages, lending organizations couldn’t figure out who owed what, We the people were told we had to bail out the lending organizations, taxes increased as did unemployment, and the country fell into a Recession.
Congress, Mr. President, are you following so far? We the people are angry. We are being pushed around, at least that is the impression we have. The era of hope and change began, only there was neither. It is politics as usual, which is OK and how the government has run since its inception. But something else is also happening. It seems that our Constitution is being ignored. You are hiding behind locked doors, making laws in secret. We are not allowed to see details of important legislation that will affect all of our lives. Basic freedoms that We the people have enjoyed in this country are being taken away from us. Our personal choices are no longer personal. Our private property is no longer private.
This country is about to witness a shake up of the Democrat and Republican parties, and in the process the two major parties will be given a very important lesson on how this country works. Hopefully you will learn that you work for us, We the people! Keep us happy and you are re-elected, start treating us like children and telling us you know what is best for us and you will see us voting you out of office and sending you on your way.
It is really quite simple.
Congress, your job is to make laws, control money, declare war, and some other stuff. Mr. President, your job is to protect and defend the Constitution. You execute the laws created by Congress and you have veto power over laws you don’t like. You spend money budgeted by Congress, create treaties, and some other stuff like deciding when the flag should be flown at half-staff. You, Justices of the Supreme Court, are the supreme arbiter of laws in the United States.
Congress makes the laws, the President executes the laws, and the Supreme Court enforces the laws. Simple. So as long as you all do what you are supposed to do and don’t step around any laws We the people are happy.
So what happened in the Fall of 2009? I am not talking about the election of Barack Obama. A few years back Congress wanted more of We the people’s votes, so they created laws to make sure anyone who wanted a house could have one, whether they could afford it or not. Organizations from Main Street to Wall Street backed the loans for the houses with pressure from Congress. And we all know what happened next: People couldn’t pay mortgages, lending organizations couldn’t figure out who owed what, We the people were told we had to bail out the lending organizations, taxes increased as did unemployment, and the country fell into a Recession.
Congress, Mr. President, are you following so far? We the people are angry. We are being pushed around, at least that is the impression we have. The era of hope and change began, only there was neither. It is politics as usual, which is OK and how the government has run since its inception. But something else is also happening. It seems that our Constitution is being ignored. You are hiding behind locked doors, making laws in secret. We are not allowed to see details of important legislation that will affect all of our lives. Basic freedoms that We the people have enjoyed in this country are being taken away from us. Our personal choices are no longer personal. Our private property is no longer private.
Congress, Mr. President - slow down. Take a deep breath. Open up negotiations on Health Care to C-Span and any other news organization that want to cover the proceedings. Allow the Republicans in on the melding of the Senate and House versions of the bills. And put the final bill out on line and in print for fellow lawmakers and We the people to read before any final voting takes place. Do these things and you won’t be feeling the wrath of We the people in November. Otherwise, don’t let the door hit you on your way out.
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