Congressional Investigations? Or partisan political presentations?

Question

Plame shows theatrical side of Congress By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer
Sat Mar 17, 9:49 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Just like a Broadway play, congressional hearings have many acts.

There is drama, humor and plenty of jockeying for top billing. Sometimes a "star" witness is called to answer legislators' questions.

But often those doing the asking really covet the bright lights for themselves. It is even more the case when the television cameras are rolling or, like now, when some lawmakers need the exposure for their presidential campaigns.

Some ask plenty of pointed questions, prompting testy exchanges with witnesses. Some ask plenty of leading questions. Some pose no questions at all, preferring the sound of their own voices. And legislators are quick to cut witnesses off when they do not like the answers.

All that was on display when Valerie Plame, the former CIA officer at the center of a political scandal, told her story...

Answer 1

One party has the concept of taking control of your lives with big government the other has the idea of???????? well I am not exactly sure what they want as a whole but the primary issue and problem in America today is corrupt career politicians.

We need TERM LIMITS NOW!!!!!!!!

The real problem in America is stupidity, special interest and/or laziness of the voter. How does a person who takes bribes on video, laughs about the ineptness of the FBI and puts $100K in a freezer get elected 8 times? And then the Senate leaders yell and scream about separation of powers. Yes they are right, it is about their power and even if it is against the law, you will not thwart their power.

You have career politicians running the government, not citizen legislators. Many accuse the career corporate CEO of only working for themselves, not the stockholders. Career politicians are NO different and they seem to think they are above the law and expect preferential treatment. If the only issue to remaining in power is to obtain cash, buy some votes with special interests and have the media spotlight, then the incumbent has it easy, all at your expense.

In the Senate there are:
44 Dems averaging 20.8 years in Congress
55 Reps averaging 16.1 years in Congress

these numbers begin to make it look like career politicians are in control, who have lost touch with you the citizen and are more entrenched in their own careers.

For the Senate, if you were to use two terms or 12 years in Congress as a term limit
25 Dems would need to leave and 25 Reps would need to leave.
Those Dems are averaging 27.1 years in Congress
Those Reps averaging 24.0 years.

80% of Dems in the Senate have been there more than 12 years
58% of Repubs have.

46% of Dems in the House have been there more than 12 years
32% of Repubs have.

Ben Franklin said of congress, "They are of the People, and return again to mix with the People, having no more durable preeminence than the different Grains of Sand in an Hourglass. Such an Assembly cannot easily become dangerous to Liberty. They are the Servants of the People, sent together to do the People's Business, and promote the public Welfare; their Powers must be sufficient, or their Duties cannot be performed. They have no profitable Appointments, but a mere Payment of daily Wages, such as are scarcely equivalent to their Expences; so that, having no Chance for great Places, and enormous Salaries or Pensions, as in some Countries, there is no triguing or bribing for Elections"

If you like the current political system continue voting along partisan lines. If however you are tired of the corrupt ways of elections and would like to see Franklins words be true again, vote for change.

Our country is being run by career politicians who for the most part appear to have lost touch with what you want, and are focused on what they want.

You can change this NOW.
1. Quit your partisan sniping, it is childish and only serves to remove the focus from the real problem in America.
2. Enlist your friends and family in the fight and ask them, if they agree about Congress to do the same.
3. Vote against the person who has 12 or more combined years in Congress
4. This will require in many instances you having to vote for someone outside of your normal party, but you are a patriot and you can do what is right.

Show congress in this next election that we the people are running things in this country, not career politicians. And we are going to do what is right.

I will end now with a favorite quote of mine.

“If a legislator is "safe" from competition, or if he represents groups with the same economic and political beliefs, he does not have to change his ideas or respond to the needs of the broader population. He can rest content with a mediocre, absentee performance knowing he will be returned to office. And as he is returned year after year the seniority system gives him immense control over people from other parts of the country whose views he need not heed at all.” -Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Decisions for a Decade

Answer 2

They can't stop campaigning or playing their reality TV roles. All the vocal politicians grandstand and feign shock, surprise or outrage.

There have been no surprises.

Everyone knew why Plame was outed when it happened.

The problems with the VA have gone on as long as I can remember.

They are all (one or two possible exceptions) guilty of negligence, dereliction of duty, violating their Oath of Office, and allowing corporate powers to dictate public policy.

Any politician that voted for the war or it's funding, the Patriot, Homeland Security, or Military Commissions Acts should be removed in the next election cycle.

Republican, Democrat, and Independent. This is so far past a partisan issue.

Remove the incumbents and you remove the freshman corruption training, old and expensive corporate debt from a lifetime of election financing, and the way too cozy relationships developed between our legislators and the most generous corporate lobbyists.

Until we, the voter demand that we receive the representation we were promised and have paid for, nothing will change.

Congress will continue to patch the laws, rearranging loopholes, when a scandal is revealed, changing the how they justify the corruption, and ensuring the influx of money from their corporate pimps does not change.

Our current government in Washington does not deserve our support, our votes, our trust, or our continued tolerance.

Either we take back what is ours and force our lawmakers to guide the country in a positive, peaceful direction, or we surrender it to the forces that would exploit, divide, and rape our great nation.

I personally will never surrender.

Answer 3

i'm prepared on it and because you Pat followers have been yelling for months that all and sundry does it shall we get all of it wiped sparkling up! i'm an NFL fan. My team is the Chiefs and in the event that they're shown to blame they gained't be my team anymore. yet as an NFL fan i prefer to video show understanding its an hassle-free opposition based on the skills on the feild no longer who has the main cutting-edge video clips ! so some distance because it no longer being a congressional rely. With the way the league relies they won an anti-have confidence settlement which incredibly helps them to function as an entire team instead of in my view owned communities they are actual. because of this shape on the subject of the only one with any authority over them is the Congress. otherwise they're violating monopoly regulations and different criminal and tax regulations.

Answer 4

It is the way the hill works, um, congress voted down straight party lines in the impeachment process of President Clinton, different party, same technique, mate.

Answer 5

Both....There was reason to investigate and I welcome it as Bush has gotten a free pass his whole presidency....however, I am sure there was some grandstanding.....that was small potatoes compared to the hearings that arte about to start about the FBI gathering intel on Americans illegally. That is a very serious issue.

Answer 6

(beat of silence to build the suspense) .............and.................yes, I see the hearings as just another grandstand for Democrats. Lets take a plain-jane woman with a beef against the current administration, doll her up, coach her on looking/acting "victimized" and display her for the whole nation to see what an "evil" thing was done to this "covert" operative..............

Answer 7

And one leads to the other.

Kind of like the death of a former Playmate??

Answer 8

Both.