Political DiscussionA place to hold political debates and general discussion. Please remember to always respect the opinions of other members and above all else, be civil.
I've been following the Abramoff scandal for a long time. Here in DC, inside the Beltway, anyway, this is big news (and has been for a while). I hope every one of these corrupt politicians gets what they deserve: jail time!
I'm sick and tired of this! We need more transparency in government. I believe there should be a commission (non-partisan, of course) and all money donated to political campaigns should go there and then they can divide it, equally, of course, amoungst ALL running politicians (of both parties). That way there is no outside influence on politicians.
bad idea. i think out and out bribes and kick backs are insidious. however investing in your interests is not evil. If I own a coal plant I know I better do everything I can to keep the green party out. Its costs too much to win an election since cameras have come in to the picture. Its sad to say but if Gore was more attractive he wouldn't have lost. So for the uglier politician to have a chance they must outspend.
here's an example. who do you think most people would vote for if our president suddenly drove the nation in to a depression and we had to decide between or
It would indeed be nice if we were able to eliminate corruption in our government. Some ways to do so:
-Eliminate campaign fundraisers and lobbying
-Eliminate re-elections, one term is ALL anyone can get.
There are other ways too, but honestly, it's all idealism. The government is too entrenched in it's power, and the politicians aren't about to give it up. Yeah, the people want reform, but the parties don't want it, or else they lose their power. The Dems and Reps both have a great thing going for them right now, no matter who is in overall control. The people have been sold out and are threatened with "vote for us, because if the enemy wins you could lose everything!" rhetoric from their party of choice.
I mean, what are the chances we can legislate against this kind of reform? Everyone in government likes it, everyone in big business likes it. We don't like it, but then again we don't have a voice that is able to be heard.
As far as the individual cases, I haven't looked into them, but I'm sure it's more of the same old crap.... different days.
The only problem with limiting terms (be it one, two, or however many) is that you take away the people's choice (i.e. they can't vote for the person they really want, assuming they want the incumbent). Also, if people don't have to run for re-election they are more prone to be corrupt because they have nothing to lose.
I think the answer is to eliminate corporate and individual funding to specific politicians or parties. That way they cannot be influenced monetarily. Also, a good thing to do is to make ALL gifts (be it a dinner at a restaurant or a trip to Scotland) transparent and no gift over, say, 1% of the legislator's salary can be accepted.
We need good politicians like Sens. McCain, Obama, Boxer, or maybe even Biden to introduce a bill like this. Only senior senators who are known for not liking red tape (such as the ones mentioned) will introduce something like it.
The way I see it is that they are not there for personal gain. They are there to represent the people, nothing more. Their interest should be the people first, then the people, and if there is any room then the people should take that, too. No other interests should be considered.
or 
