Political Junkie

I admit it, I'm a political junkie. I have always loved politics. Not so much anymore. What a country we live in. It seems as if the race for the presidency has been going on for the last 4 years...okay it's only been 18 months. It just seems like 4 years! In spite of the fact that we have been watching these candidates for what feels like a lifetime, we know so little about them. Since I have not been in another country for an election, I don't know if their political ads are as negative as ours.

Is it only me or do you wish the ads would tell us who the candidate is, not what we should dislike about the other guy/gal! I, for one, would love to know who the real Barack Obama is and who the real John McCain is. We don't know. Like children we are spoon fed by their campaigns re: their positions, what they've done, who they are. Quite frankly, they all scare me.

We watched the John Adams mini-series and it seems this type of rhetoric and mud slinging went on even then. Pity! One would have thought they were above this type of campaigning. I guess the adage "what's old is new again" truly applies. We the people don't ask for anything better, so we don't get anything better.

I heard last night that this campaign for President has cost the candidates over $1 Billion. Let's see, the President earns $400,000.00 per year. It appears the perks must make it worth spending that kind of money to get elected. How sad! Of course our congressional representatives also spend a fortune to get elected or in most cases re-elected. We know they have the best health care in the country. Apparently, that alone is worth the millions our senators and congress spend on campaigns.

However, there is another reason they want to be in Washington. Trust me, it's not to represent "We the people". It is to line their pockets. Lobbyists woo them to make certain their agenda is passed. Big business is in the vest pocket of most of our Senators and Congressmen/women. What the founding fathers saw as serving the country for a term or two, has become a lifetime career.

When they retire, they receive their salaries as a pension for the rest of their lives. They don't have to try to live on Social Security or worry about health care. Pretty good job and they only work 4 days a week as long as they are in session. Which isn't often. Even now, in the midst of this extraordinary financial crisis, they want to get it resolved before they recess.

How many people out there know that Secretary Paulson was CEO of Goldman, Sachs and a HUGE contributor to the Bush campaign? I bet, not many. Yet, our President wants to allow Paulson, alone, to determine that we the people should bail out these companies like Lehman Bros. to the tune of $700 Billion with no safeguards. Personally, the greed on Wall Street should not be rewarded by bailing these people out.

If Paulson has his way not only will your children be paying for this bailout, but your great grandchildren and possibly your great, great grandchildren! The mortgage bankers were no better. The reason there are so many foreclosures is the greed of the mortgage companies. Anyone could buy a house. It didn't matter if they could afford to repay the mortgage. All they had to do was come up with the huge closing costs which, of course, were added on to the mortgage. I know 1 person who's closing costs were over $30,000.00. It is shameful and we the people will be paying for their greed for years to come.

My belief is that money and success are a person's right. We all have the right to be rich but not at the expense of someone else! When one earns their living by preying on the naive, they do not deserve a golden parachute when the government bails them out. I've always heard that the conservative Republicans are fiscally responsible...not so much!!!

We have a do nothing congress and a lame duck president who continues to get what he wants from our do nothing congress. Personally, I think it's time for a new "Boston Tea Party". Remember your history...no taxation without representation. Do you believe you are truly represented in Congress?

Truly disgusted,
Neelie