All I want is for the Democrats to watch my back -- without a knife in hand

[nadinbrzezinski]

61. This is precisely why I have been arguing with the just vote crowd

all will be ok. Unfortunately there are two things in politics that count for pols, money, don't kid yourself on that one. And we have the political science article to point now as to the nature of our current oligarchy. (See FCC appointment for textbook example), and squeaky wheel.

Unfortunately the latter is inversely proportional to how high the office is. Labor, for example, can organize local unions to take over City Hall, a beautiful sight by the way. But they cannot afford to do that with Congress. Lobbyist, on the other hand, live there.

In my dreams, and we have the technology, see that Internet they want to kill, our reps and Senators would carry most of their functions remotely. It would make K street job that much harder, and it would make local activists much easier. It might even save them money, and time, not flying across the continent, or worst, from Hawaii and Guam, almost every week. They would not have to essentially have a second home in DC either.

Get them together for the SOTU, the presidential swearing in, you know, mostly ceremonial stuff. Hold hearings around the country by roving committees, and closed door meetings can be telecasted from nearby military bases.

If people can tell vote for local non profit boards, I think congress and senate can do that too. It would make holding feet to fire easier too.