Congressional Reform Act of 2010

I received this e-mail today and agreed with it (mostly)... so I'm posting it here for ya'll to debate.

1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two six year Senate terms and six two year House terms
B. One six year Senate term and three two year House terms


2. No Tenure / No Pension:

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.


3. Congress (past, present and future) participates in Social Security:

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.


4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

Obama Rocks!

For history tells a different story. History reminds us that at every moment of economic upheaval and transformation, this nation has responded with bold action and big ideas. In the midst of civil war, we laid railroad tracks from one coast to another that spurred commerce and industry. From the turmoil of the Industrial Revolution came a system of public high schools that prepared our citizens for a new age. In the wake of war and depression, the GI Bill sent a generation to college and created the largest middle-class in history. And a twilight struggle for freedom led to a nation of highways, an American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes our world.

In each case, government didn’t supplant private enterprise; it catalyzed private enterprise. It created the conditions for thousands of entrepreneurs and new businesses to adapt and to thrive.

We are a nation that has seen promise amid peril, and claimed opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that nation again. That is why, even as it cuts back on the programs we don’t need, the budget I submit will invest in the three areas that are absolutely critical to our economic future: energy, health care, and education.

Senator Bill Clinton?

Sen. Bill Clinton? Sen. Mario Cuomo? Don't completely rule it out. The former president and the former New York governor are among several boldface names being touted as possible "caretakers" for New York's Senate seat — people who would serve until the 2010 elections but wouldn't be interested in running to keep the job.

As the process of picking Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's replacement gets messier, the option may become increasingly attractive to Gov. David Paterson, who has sole authority to name a successor.

I doubt President Clinton would be very interested in the job, but it sure would be fun to watch the right wing haters start foaming at the mouth over the prospect... but I guess they're already foaming about Caroline Kennedy, huh?

Ted Stevens Loses

Alaska GOP Senator Ted Stevens has lost his bid for a seventh Senate term, the Associated Press reported. Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the United States Senate, has until tonight held his seat since 1968.

Democratic opponent Mark Begich, mayor of Anchorage, had an insurmountable lead of 3,724 votes in Tuesday's tally, with only 2,500 left to be counted.

It is great news that this convicted felon has lost his re-election bid...

To quote Queen: Another One Bites the Dust!

On Why You Cannot Blame the Democrats for Congress

The current GOP Senate minority has set an all-time record: using the filibuster more often than at any time in history. On more than 80 different occasions, they have blocked progress on ending the war, stymied efforts to rebuild our economy, impeded forward movement on health care, or stood in the way on a whole host of other issues.

Even so, Congress took action this week to protect the health of children, strengthening rules for the Consumer Product Safety Commission concerning toy safety and restricting marketplace practices used by the tobacco industry to target children.

Now I won't say I'm the biggest fan of Congress, but you cannot blame the Democrats for everything that has happened in Congress the past two years. Now, if they get a filibuster-proof majority come November, then you can blame the Democrats for what happens in Congress...

Rove in Contempt

The House Judiciary Committee this morning voted in favor of finding former Bush advisor Karl Rove in contempt of Congress for his refusal of a subpoena to testify before the panel. The committee voted along party lines, 20-14.

The White House and Rove's lawyer directed Rove not to testify, arguing that he is immune from testimony as a close advisor to the president whose testimony is sought in connection with his official duties.

Great news... it is about time Congress started to act like a governing body... now maybe it can try to use its power to enforce some badly needed oversight.