About this footholding over fires...

[TreasonousBastard]

I keep seeing posts about how we have to "keep their feet to the fire" and otherwise make sure our elected representatives don't stray too far from what they appear to have been elected to do. Or at least what we think they have been elected to do.

I'm not sure exactly how that works, though. It's obvious we can't torture them, but, aside from complaining loudly on an infinite number of message boards, just what do we do to ensure their loyalty to whatever standards we set up for them?

Send them money, booze and hookers? (Fine jewelry for the women.)

Threaten not to vote for them again, or to stop sending them money, booze, and hookers? (Just send cheap knockoffs to the women.)

How does one influence a Senator, particularly one from NY or California where there are millions of people who can't get through to their offices to ask a simple question. House members are a little easier to find, but it's not easy to get a commitment from any of them once tracked down. At least that's what I've found.

And Presidents? Yeah, right.

So, who has successfully fried Congressional feet and gotten something done. How'd you do that? Presidential feet?

(Me, I join organizations that do that sort of stuff so there's that power in numbers, but it's that personal touch I'm missing.)

[LooseWilly]

1. Near as I can tell,

... we bitch here in cyberspace... and if we bitch long enough, loud enough (whatever that means), and at a time when some staffer happens to be looking... then we might get the attention of whomever we're bitching about, and he/she might feel some heat upon his/her feet... and if we then send hookers and booze when our bitching causes at least a little bit of shift, then we've done our part.

[omega minimo]

2. well yeah, that's what the fight for Independence was all about

Tom Paine printed a bunch of fliers and Paul Revere and Johnny Appleseed spread em around the countryside and everyone hoped King George would notice and give the Colonies independence.

It took a while so they put teabags on their tricorner hats and cast a bunch of bells to ring after King George finally noticed them.

That's why Freedom of the Press was so important in the Constitution.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Oh someone is looking at our bitching alright! They are called the media,

and they will use what they can, when they can...and it ain't never about exposing the good shit that we say about this President; that's for sure!

[Solomon]

4. What kills me is when Obama does something he was going to do all along

and the righteous complainers take credit for it. Haha. It's hilarious. But for the righteous moaning, Obama would have done the wrong thing.

Right up there with the, "I hope he learned his lesson" bullshit.

[Clio the Leo]

5. You mean there's no senior staff member who serves as .....

.... Chief Internet Message Board Liaison?

Darn it!

[dionysus]

6. are you perhaps insinuatingthat throwing temper trantrums on DU isn't really holding Os feet to the

fire?

you don't say...

:)

[depakid]

7. Accountability Now Launches — Incumbents Take Notice

http://accountabilitynowpac.com/