Monday, September 04, 2006

THE PLEDGE

We, the electorate, have lost control of our government to the political parties. We have two parallel systems -- politics and government. Sadly, they involve the same people. If an elected or appointed official is ever in a situation where an issue causes him (the generic "he") to choose between the needs of his constituents and the needs of his party, what does he invariably choose? You got it ---the party!!! In short, we have lost control of government to the leadership of the Republican and Democrat political parties. Arguably, the typically low election turnouts reflect, whether analytically, intuitively, or viscerally, a significant disconnect between the electorate and the political parties. Could it be that these low turnouts are actually desired by both parties?
But if you want your government back, and I think some of you don't (many people in the world really don't care about a democratically elected leader, as long as they have a “just” ruler), offer those running for office, incumbents and challengers, in this next election cycle to take "THE PLEDGE". The current mood in this country offers the chance for this simple, straight forward approach to return some control of our government back to you.

Just send your email with the following to both the incumbent and the challenger at ALL levels, federal, state and local. Ask for their concurrence, an electronic signature in effect.

“If I am ever in a situation where an issue causes me to choose between the needs of my constituents and the needs of my party, I will vote in favor of the needs of my constituents.”

That's it... simple but deadly. Better yet, go to a rally, debate or photo op with THE PLEDGE on a 3X5 card. Put a signature line on it and personally get it signed. If the incumbent won't, then the challenger might. Send a copy of the signed pledge to the local newspaper and wait until the next election cycle. If he didn't keep his pledge, replace him. Imagine the impact of the electorate actually confronting those running for office and not just telling them what the electorate wants, but requiring a PLEDGE.

Forget about the political parties, they mean nothing to you. If you think you are a Republican or a Democrat -- you're not. Only those who derive real power from a political party are. Unless you are part of the "in crowd", the power elite, your portion of power will barely be a trickle. Political parties exploit people's need for identity, just as professional sports teams do. For your own well being, put down your cherry Kool Aid, get into a good detox program, and start to think about the opposite of what you're being told. It's a lot closer to the truth. Don’t depend on others to fix the problem. You caused it; it’s up to you to fix it. Remember what George Bush said, "Fool me once, shame on ... uh, um, uh ....". Well, you get the idea.

The tide of public opinion finally seems to be shifting. People are beginning to realize that our government is ineffective and that our legislative branch is a confederacy of dunces. Everything that Congress has deregulated is worse or nearly dead -- energy, transportation, airlines, communications. Congressman Zach Wamp (TN--R) once told me, "As a freshman congressman, I was told that I would begin my term wondering how I got here. Later I will wonder how 'they' got here." That revealing analysis has been shared among congressmen for at least as long as the Aristocrats joke has been shared among comedians. The situation can be summed up by recalling that the Republican controlled Congress passed a bill for a brain-dead Florida woman in one day ( and the President flew back to sign the legislation early in the morning). Yet Congress has been incapable of passing legislation to secure our borders and deal with the flood of illegal immegrants for this ENTIRE YEAR. You gave them a chance ; they failed you. Remember what George Bush said, "Fool me once, shame on ... uh, um , uh ....". Well, you get the idea. You are the cause of the problem. Now it's your job to fix it.