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Comments

1. #1
   On March 10th, 2009 at 11:36 am, Misscheryl said:

   what tangled webs we weave…

2. #2
   On March 10th, 2009 at 11:37 am, ajmontana said:

   Term Limits would be even better.

3. #3
   On March 10th, 2009 at 11:40 am, Misscheryl said:

   What in the world do we have to do to get term limits AND a flat tax?

4. #4
   On March 10th, 2009 at 11:41 am, longbow said:

   Pitchforks, tar and feathers would be even better than term limits. But I’d settle for term limits, especially if we could make them retroactive…

5. #5
   On March 10th, 2009 at 11:43 am, sonofdy said:

   What in the world do we have to do to get term limits AND a flat tax?

   50 Megaton thermonuclear weapon over the capital building.

   In other words, not going to happen.

6. #6
   On March 10th, 2009 at 11:48 am, pdv said:

   I would prefer complete accountability and when they do screw the American Taxpayer, complete confiscation of all their worldly goods, assets, etc. and sending them to a deserted island somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle during hurricane season.

7. #7
   On March 10th, 2009 at 11:50 am, twofoot said:

   Term limits, flat tax, and an amendment that dictates all bills must be “clean” bills.

8. #8
   On March 10th, 2009 at 11:51 am, Salt said:

   2008 Senate Salary – $169,300

   How about shared sacrifice by decreasing that salary to show solidarity with their constituents that have been laid off or had to endure salary cuts.

   I do applaud Sen. Vitter’s effort. It seems only right.

9. #9
   On March 10th, 2009 at 11:56 am, Roman Con said:

   I like the Machiavellian play, but how much pork does Vitter have in that bill? Don’t get me wrong: I am not trolling, and I genuinely admire the pay freeze. But unless Vitter’s hands are clean, he has a big credibility problem with me.

   Earmarks should be outlawed. I mean, I love you guys, but I don’t want Federal tax dollars to pay for a National Museum of Belly-Button Lint in your hometown.

10. #10
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:01 pm, bayou22 said:

    Hopefully Vitter is getting over his negative stigma and getting back to showing some backbone for Louisiana and the US. He’s one of the few who puts forth common sense ideas.

    Term limits would go a long way to fixing all of the other problems mentioned above.

11. #11
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:05 pm, cabrerski said:

    It’s a start…but let’s be fair:

    1. All congressional raises (members and staff) will be tied to the consumer price index and no more.
    2. All congressional retirement accounts will be terminated and their value (based on the number of years served) will be shifted to 401K accounts with no employer fund-matching.
    3. All political action committees (PACs) will lose their tax-exempt status (along with all political organizations).
    4. Congress cannot exempt itself from any laws, rules, taxes, fees, or regulations that the general public has levied on it – other than what is stated in the Constitution.

    My shopping list goes on and on…now if we can just find a member of Congress with a sack that will propose this.

12. #12
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:05 pm, Trollman said:

    How about we tie what Congress is paid to how well the stock market is doing?

    All in favor say “Aye.”

13. #13
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:10 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

    Our entrenched criminal class of windbags. Cliff? What cliff?

14. #14
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:13 pm, Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul said:

    Hopefully Vitter is getting over his negative stigma and getting back to showing some backbone for Louisiana and the US. He’s one of the few who puts forth common sense ideas.

    If he were a Demonrat, there’d be no stigma.

    That is the joy of being a Demonrat, one has to at least pay some kind of lip service to morality to be accused of a moral failure.

15. #15
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:14 pm, cabrerski said:

    Troll,

    That is what we should tie their retirement account to

16. #16
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:19 pm, pueblo1032 said:

    KUDOS to MR. VITTERS… However, the chance of this seeing the light of day??? As we used to say in the MILITARY, “none, and NO F@#%ING CHANCE!!! As to TERM LIMITS… Used to be opposed to them… Now, how do we get them, and how fast can we do it???

17. #17
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:34 pm, Misscheryl said:

    Here’s a heads up:

    Pelosi open to second stimulus

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19835.html

18. #18
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:36 pm, usa_usa said:

    It is a sad day for senate republicans when Vitter is the most conservative of them all.

19. #19
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:46 pm, bradley said:

    Well, I just got hit by Obama’s idiotic S-CHIP law today, as cigarettes went up 81 cents a pack here in Georgia. That’s a 39% increase in price, thanks to the concept of giving children free health care when all their parents can do is conceive them and not support them. “Spreading the wealth around” comes home to roost, less than two months into Jugears’ administration. Of course, he’s not going to increase taxes on ANYONE but the “top 5%”. That’s good to know.

20. #20
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:50 pm, irving said:

    How about we tie what Congress is paid to how well the stock market is doing?

    Also the president and secretary of the treasury.

21. #21
    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:59 pm, cpodug said:

    These things I believe: That government should butt out. That freedom is our most precious commodity and if we are not eternally vigilant, government will take it all away. That individual freedom demands individual responsibility. That government is not a necessary good but an unavoidable evil. That the executive branch has grown too strong, the judicial branch too arrogant and the legislative branch too stupid. That political parties have become close to meaningless. That government should work to insure the rights of the individual, not plot to take them away. That government should provide for the national defense and work to insure domestic tranquillity. That foreign trade should be fair rather than free. That America should be wary of foreign entanglements. That the tree of liberty needs to be watered from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. That guns do more than protect us from criminals; more importantly, they protect us from the ongoing threat of government. That states are the bulwark of our freedom. That states should have the right to secede from the Union. That once a year we should hang someone in government as an example to his fellows. – Lyn Nofziger

    ’nuff said

22. #22
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:07 pm, cabrerski said:

    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:59 pm, cpodug said:

    I nominate Barney Frank for the first of many

23. #23
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:08 pm, Red State Skeptic said:

    How can you possibly pay lip service to David Vitter after so forcefully demonizing Elliott Spitzer and Larry Craig? What hypocrisy.

24. #24
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:11 pm, Elm Creek Smith said:

    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:46 pm, bradley said:
    Well, I just got hit by Obama’s idiotic S-CHIP law today, as cigarettes went up 81 cents a pack here in Georgia. That’s a 39% increase in price, thanks to the concept of giving children free health care when all their parents can do is conceive them and not support them. “Spreading the wealth around” comes home to roost, less than two months into Jugears’ administration. Of course, he’s not going to increase taxes on ANYONE but the “top 5%”. That’s good to know.

    Y’know there is a simple way to fix this “tax” issue and defund the S-CHIP law: Quit smoking. I was smoking 3 packs of Chesterfield straights a day when I quit during my Army career, and my incentive wasn’t financial since they were $0.27 per pack at the time.

    Jest tryin’ ta help.

    Hope is not a plan; not all change is good. The resistance is here; the resistance is now. RESIST!!!

    ECS

25. #25
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:12 pm, Uplander said:

    How ’bout in penance for poor performance, The President, his cabinet and both houses of Congress work for free this year, maybe next year also.

26. #26
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:15 pm, KaosKlerik said:

    That once a year we should hang someone in government as an example to his fellows. – Lyn Nofziger

    Yeah, but you know the Democrats would rig the vote to see who get’s hanged…

27. #27
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:22 pm, Salt said:

    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:08 pm, Red State Skeptic said:

    How can you possibly pay lip service to David Vitter after so forcefully demonizing Elliott Spitzer and Larry Craig? What hypocrisy.

    We like the idea of the Senate putting their automatic pay increases on hold this year. The idea has merit. It’s not hypocritical to consider the idea independent of the source.

28. #28
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:22 pm, madmonkphotog said:

    Reid is a tool. A total tool.

    He didn’t introduce a stand-alone bill. He introducted a sure-fire loser.

    Undoubtedly, amendments would be tacked on to that one, so it could be roundly defeated.

    Political maneuvering. Nothing more.

29. #29
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:26 pm, By Choice said:

    On March 10th, 2009 at 12:05 pm, cabrerski said:
    It’s a start…but let’s be fair:

    1. All congressional raises (members and staff) will be tied to the consumer price index and no more.
    2. All congressional retirement accounts will be terminated and their value (based on the number of years served) will be shifted to 401K accounts with no employer fund-matching.
    3. All political action committees (PACs) will lose their tax-exempt status (along with all political organizations).
    4. Congress cannot exempt itself from any laws, rules, taxes, fees, or regulations that the general public has levied on it – other than what is stated in the Constitution.

    They have been so quick to denounce the perks of CEOS they also need to look in the mirror. Roll back salaries to 2005 levels, cease all health coverage,cut their staff in half with hiring freeze, no limos, no special dining room. NO perks ((get the hell out of there Mr Rangel) Pay to play and see how it feels to be a real American.

    Maybe they need to have a couple of illegals do their jobs to get a real picture of the labour market of today—oops, guess we already have a Pres who is. See how quickly “they” can turn a nice country into a third world.

30. #30
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:41 pm, rambler said:

    Time for members of congress to get pink slips and join the unemployed. Enough of this deficit spending.

31. #31
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:46 pm, jjmurphy said:

    I agree. Term limits are a minimum. One term for a senator, two for a representative. (I used to think more terms, but not now.) That would remove a lot of corruption and the influence of lobbyists. No pensions or healthcare once out of office. You’re in, then you’re out!

    Throw in the fair tax and I’m happy.

32. #32
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:53 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    No pensions or healthcare once out of office. You’re in, then you’re out!

    Yes, the defined benefit is dead. Let them put their money in 401ks like the rest of us and see how they like it.

33. #33
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:57 pm, Rip Ford said:

    I think once a year we should vote on whether our elected officials deserve a raise or not. After all, I’ve never had a job where the decision of whether I got a raise or not was in my hands instead of my employer’s. I don’t see why it should be any different for Congress.

34. #34
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:57 pm, hawkeye54 said:

    What in the world do we have to do to get term limits AND a flat tax?
    50 Megaton thermonuclear weapon over the capital building.

    In other words, not going to happen.

    Actually there is a better probability of DC being nuked than getting term limits AND/OR a flat tax.

35. #35
    On March 10th, 2009 at 1:58 pm, TooMuchTime said:

    Amendment 27: No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened.

    So doesn’t the auto-pay raise violate the Constitution anway?

36. #36
    On March 10th, 2009 at 2:04 pm, TooMuchTime said:

    Maybe they need to have a couple of illegals do their jobs to get a real picture of the labour market of today…

    Bingo!

    This is why illegal immigration has nothting to do with the “jobs americans won’t do” BS. It has to do with cost. Personally, I thing the Congress is costing us too much. Put a few illegals in there working for minimum wage…

37. #37
    On March 10th, 2009 at 2:31 pm, Red State Skeptic said:

    We like the idea of the Senate putting their automatic pay increases on hold this year. The idea has merit. It’s not hypocritical to consider the idea independent of the source.

    As to the idea: Congressional salaries are a drop in the bucket, no matter how big the budget is. We need competent servants, not partisan hacks who only pursue politics to augment their stature. Free market, self-interest guy that I am, I think it would be more than reasonable to give people an economic incentive to pursue politics. 90% of kids out of top colleges want that big money and would be crazy to pursue a career as a legislator. It’s amazing to me that congressional salaries total less than a hundred million dollars. Shouldn’t the body that’s entrusted with allocating a budget of $3 trillion (last year) be paid at least a billion?

    As to the man: he should resign. Conservatives should be crying for his resignation from rooftops everywhere. I repeat: what hypocrisy.

38. #38
    On March 10th, 2009 at 2:39 pm, jjmurphy said:

    give people an economic incentive to pursue politics.

    I understand the idea, but I gotta disagree. I think politics should be considered nothing more than a reluctant civic duty. The goal should be to get competent, successful people in office for a few years, have them keep the basic duties of government running efficiently, then get the hell out. They can then look back on their time in D.C. as a necessary evil.

39. #39
    On March 10th, 2009 at 2:42 pm, SeniorD said:

    I send a complaint to my local Congrostitute, Ron Kind (D,Peoples Republic of Wisconsin), every year as he callously makes statements about Congress giving automatic pay raises while hypocritically accepting those same raises.

    The chances of Sen Vitter’s bill even seeing daylight in the Senate House of Lords are greater than Jupiter becoming a moon of Pluto.

40. #40
    On March 10th, 2009 at 2:54 pm, cabrerski said:

    On March 10th, 2009 at 2:31 pm, Red State Skeptic said:

    Personally, I think just about everyone in Congress stinks on ice, not just Vitter. But the blind pig finds a truffle every so often.

    If you remember the pro-amnesty rhetoric of last year, you will recall the often used phrase “comprehensive immigration policy”. What we need is a comprehensive Congressional policy that can weed out these miserable SOBs. Your point is taken that their salaries are a drop in the bucket by comparision to the national budget. What you may not realize is the cost that each and everyone of these horses’ behinds do to further damage our welfare as a country.

    It is their failure to represent our country while padding their (and their friends’) pockets. It is their failure to continue to waste and spend on frivolous things that may be nice to have but not necessary in the grand scheme. They continue to bluster, fooling a moronic media, and put up every possible roadblock to ensure the common American has no say in what they do.

    If you wish to pick out minute details to obscure the overall problem, fine. It’s your right. I will continue to call for removal of all incumbents until we get a group in Congress that has America’s interests at heart (proven by deed not words).

41. #41
    On March 10th, 2009 at 2:58 pm, Misscheryl said:

    It is their failure to represent our country while padding their (and their friends’) pockets. It is their failure to continue to waste and spend on frivolous things that may be nice to have but not necessary in the grand scheme. They continue to bluster, fooling a moronic media, and put up every possible roadblock to ensure the common American has no say in what they do.

    Actually, RSS put it in a nutshell when he said “self-interest guy that I am…” He and everyone in politics…he should run, he’d fit right in.

42. #42
    On March 10th, 2009 at 2:58 pm, cabrerski said:

    Again, my apologies to blind pigs and horses’ behinds for the insulting comparisons.

43. #43
    On March 10th, 2009 at 3:25 pm, happy2behere said:

    Braaaaadley – here’s how to get ‘em…DONT SMOKE!

44. #44
    On March 10th, 2009 at 3:25 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    I repeat: what hypocrisy.

    I ask “What hypocrisy?”

    “It was Republicans in Vitter’s home state who first exposed his alleged use of prostitutes…”

45. #45
    On March 10th, 2009 at 3:26 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Speaking of hypocrisy – are you also demanding Barney Frank resign?

46. #46
    On March 10th, 2009 at 3:53 pm, Micheleeroo said:

    Congress has not only NOT earned a pay raise, they should be fired for pushing America over a cliff.

47. #47
    On March 10th, 2009 at 3:55 pm, Red State Skeptic said:

    I ask “What hypocrisy?”

    “It was Republicans in Vitter’s home state who first exposed his alleged use of prostitutes…”

    Good for Louisiana Republicans. If only his colleagues (and right-wing bloggers) were so principled.

48. #48
    On March 10th, 2009 at 3:57 pm, Red State Skeptic said:

    Speaking of hypocrisy – are you also demanding Barney Frank resign?

    I love Barney. I believe that he had no knowledge that his boyfriend was running an escort service out of his apartment because that was the only time you ever heard a story like that out of him. Senator Vitter on the other hand…

49. #49
    On March 10th, 2009 at 4:01 pm, Savage24 said:

    This will never fly! Here in New Mexico the state government couldn’t pass a ethics reform bill, but they passed a bill to raise their retirement pay.Politicians are out of touch with the voters not only at the federal level, but all the way down the line. Revolution is the only answer!

50. #50
    On March 10th, 2009 at 4:42 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    If only his colleagues (and right-wing bloggers) were so principled.

    If you Googled the quotation, you’d discover it was a principled right-wing blogger who wrote it.

    And yeah, no way someone would know what was happening in their basement. If Frank is that clueless, you might expect him to be that clueless about banks and mortgages…

51. #51
    On March 10th, 2009 at 5:29 pm, L.N. Smithee said:

    Red State Skeptic wrote:
    

    As to the man: he should resign. Conservatives should be crying for his resignation from rooftops everywhere. I repeat: what hypocrisy.

    You were asleep in Civics class, so let me give you a head’s up: Nobody can make a politician resign if s/he doesn’t want to go, isn’t recalled by the electorate, and can’t be legally removed. The GOP tried to dump Larry Craig, but he wouldn’t leave, and finally he dumped himself. Vitter replaced Bob Livingston, who was in line to become Speaker of the House but resigned after his extramarital affair was revealed for Larry Flynt cash. After drunk-driving off a bridge and leaving a young woman to drown in his car, Ted Kennedy was pressured to resign by the Dems … psych!

    (If that guy’s going to be a British Knight, I say we trump it by starting a movement to beatify Mary Jo Kopechne. But I digress…)

    Would I rather someone else be representative of my values than a confessed whoremonger? Of course. Am I going to throw away a good idea because he was the source of it if nobody else is going to step up to the plate? Of course NOT.

    Congressional salaries are a drop in the bucket, no matter how big the budget is. We need competent servants, not partisan hacks who only pursue politics to augment their stature. Free market, self-interest guy that I am, I think it would be more than reasonable to give people an economic incentive to pursue politics. 90% of kids out of top colleges want that big money and would be crazy to pursue a career as a legislator. It’s amazing to me that congressional salaries total less than a hundred million dollars. Shouldn’t the body that’s entrusted with allocating a budget of $3 trillion (last year) be paid at least a billion?

    Are you suggesting “kids out of college” would be more likely to be “competent servants” and not “partisan hacks”? What’s your point of reference for such an opinion? And you’re acting as if the POWER that money follows is not incentive enough for those greedy grads.

    Your self-description as a “free-market guy” is betrayed by your argument, which sounds like those of teachers’ unions who say people who would be the best teachers go into private enterprise because teachers’ pay is so low. The reason the pay is relatively paltry is simple: When you are excellent and do a great job in private industry, your services are at a premium because more money comes in due to your performance. That’s free market. OTOH, salaries for public schools come from budgets that are finite. That’s government.

    Does more money come into a school district when the teachers are better? Nope. Does less money come in when the teachers suck? Nope — in fact, the argument is often made that the more a school district sucks, the more money should be shoveled into it. Can you reward better teachers for their excellence? Nope – the union don’t play that. Can you fire teachers who suck without an arcane, Olympian legal struggle? Nope. Will any of those things change if the teachers are paid better? Why would they?

    Vitter is being smarter than he was when he hooked up with hookers. He’s holding a mirror to the hypocrites sliming bonuses for driving businesses into the ground and saying “You’re raising your salaries while raising taxes, simultaneously saying ‘We all have to sacrifice … including me.’ So let’s pay up.”

    One last thing: The submortgage crisis that spurred the recession should have taught us all about “drops in the bucket”: What water there is in the bucket is made up of drops too numerous to count, but when everyone wastes drops without counting, eventually the bucket will be emptied.

52. #52
    On March 10th, 2009 at 5:44 pm, marsouin said:

    American social democrats have cried about the excessive pay of CEO’s, now it’a about time Congress, which recently won a raise on already lavish pay and perks, be scrutinized as well. The damn hypocrites. Why not have Congressional and White House pay tied to social and economic barometers such as crime, employment, and GDP growth? Make the bastards responsible for their actions.

53. #53
    On March 10th, 2009 at 5:56 pm, reshas1 said:

    Grade Obama..
    http://www.polls.newsvine.com/_question/2009/03/10/2528064-midway-through-his-first-100-days-how-would-you-rate-barack-obama?GT1=43001

54. #54
    On March 10th, 2009 at 6:26 pm, cheapseat said:

    the u.s. gdp will be less than 10 trillion dollars this year, and the federal governments budget will be 3.5 trillion. so a fair tax for every single american is 35% of their pay. you want to feed the pig, you should pay for the slop.

55. #55
    On March 10th, 2009 at 7:23 pm, oneisnotprime said:

    I agree with Red State Skeptic. Raise Congress’ salaries significantly to attract non-career politicians, then let Congress pay for ALL their own perks (including ridiculously oversized groups of aides and assistants) out of their own salary so they won’t spend recklessly.

    I’d even like to see Congress (and other federal employees on down the line) keep a percentage of any savings when spending comes in under the previous year, then we’d really see some cost cutting–and we wouldn’t have ridiculous cases of $100M corruption over a $100k bribe campaign contribution.