Zell Miller: Legislatures Should Pick Senators

[ringmastery]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&u=/ap/20040428/ap_on_go_co/appointing_senators_1&printer=1

WASHINGTON - Zell Miller, Georgia's maverick Democratic senator, says the nation ought to return to having senators appointed by legislatures rather than elected by voters.

Miller, who is retiring in January, was first appointed to his post in 2000 after the death of Paul Coverdell. He said Wednesday that rescinding the 17th Amendment, which declared that senators should be elected, would increase the power of state governments and reduce the influence of Washington special interests.

"The individuals are not so much at fault as the rotten and decaying foundation of what is no longer a republic," Miller said on the Senate floor. "It is the system that stinks. And it's only going to get worse because that perfect balance our brilliant Founding Fathers put in place in 1787 no longer exists."

[terrya]

1. Yeah, who wants the people electing their own representatives, anyway?

Bullshit. This would open up the process to even more chicanery and corruption than now, if that's possible.

[Selwynn]

2. I would not reduce influence of special interests

..it would only change the location of where those interest lobby and who the lobby.

After nine years in Idaho, I'd also like to say fuck state's rights. :)

[AndyP]

3. he does have a point

that the way seneators, and most other elected officials for that matter, are greatly influenced by the money machine that puts them there in the first place. I don't know if letting other corrupt officials put more corrupt officials into office is a good idea. If this happened any state that had a democratic or repulican state senate would only get others like them in Washington, and that's not the way it should be. The system isn't the best but it's the best we got.
just my $0.02

[sallyseven]

6. The system doesn't stink as much as Zell Miller does.

What a turkey. Wonder what bush promised him for turn coating.

[Warpy]

12. The truth is that it costs so damn much money to run for office

...that very few who are not rock stars, sports stars, or plutocrats drowning in inherited wealth can afford to wake up one day and say "Wow, I'm gonna run for office!"

They are approached by groups of other rich men who say "Hey, son, if you run for office, we're gonna back you all the way." Changing politicians usually means only changing cartels of businessmen and lobbyists, and it's been that way since the beginning. Gone are the days when unions could counter these pigs with their own prolabor candidates.

And that, kiddies, is why we have the GOP and the GOP-lite DLC runinng the parties.

Yes, it's better than having politicians in state leges, already corrupted by the system of legalized bribery, pick candidates instead of letting people do it. After all, we can choose the lesser of the two evils, and we can't rely on them to do so.

It could work a hell of a lot better than it does now, though.

[AndyP]

15. and that's sad

Russ Feingold was on campus a few weeks ago and was talking about getting back to the time when you could run for office (state) and not have to worry about money. I think the gov't would be better if we had real people in office and not professional politicians.

[mot78]

4. Hey Zell: This Is 2004, not 1804

He wants to undo every bit of Progressive and Populist legislation on the books. The Abolitionists arn't far behind in witnessing the scurge of Zell.

[rucky]

5. Zell: "Democracy is overrated"

i wonder if John Lewis would pick Zell?

[West Coast Democrat]

7. I know, why doesn't the President just pick the Legislators?

and the legislators pick the President?

[tom_paine]

9. Give it time. You are describing Imperial Amerika 2050

Can it be stopped? I'm not sure it can be stopped even if Kerry is allowed to "win".

[Classical_Liberal]

8. Let's go back to considering negroes 3/5 humans as well

.

[DeaconBlues]

13. Yeah, and only allowing property-owning men to vote

That'll get rid of all the corruption, right Zell? Jesus, the end of this bozo's term in the Senate can't happen too soon.

[napi21]

10. I'm expecting Zell to begin trying to revive segregation in the

South soon. I've only lived in the South (Ga.) for 3 q/2 years so I don't know what he was like in the past, but he sure seems to be siding with the people who would like everything to return to the 50's....or before that!

There are only a few things that make me feel a little better/

Zell isn't running for ere-election (Thank God)

Zell is old, and he's going back to the North Ga. mountains and be out of sight (I hope)

[scottxyz]

11. Yeah Zell, democracy sucks

What an asshole.

[Commendatori]

14. Why not? We had a president picked in 2000, so

there's no reason to let those pesky voters decide things any further.

Thank God that moronic asswipe is retiring.

[Bleacher Creature]

16. I didn't think it was possible to dislike Zell any more. . .

I was wrong.

[pmbryant]

17. Yikes!

This fellow's politics have been regressing rather quickly for years now, and clearly that process is still in motion.

Where will he end up before he's done?

:crazy:

Peter

[Fenris]

18. A current portrait of Senator Miller

[deacon]

19. it sounds like he has had a mental breakdown. n/t

[samadhi]

20. Does it matter either way?

We are going to get corrupt scum politicians either way so I don't give a rat's ass.