Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Should We Vote All the Incumbents Out?

This week has been disappointing. The country's hope that the Super Committee would be able to come to a compromise on the federal deficit was dashed by our elected representatives to Congress who can't seem to come to an agreement on anything. Washington has become so dysfunctional that you wonder if any of them deserve their seats in Congress. No one seems to have the will to solve the problems of our country; they only have the will to save their party's hard line.

Of course, there are those out there who are applauding the Republicans for sticking to their principles and saying no to any tax increase for the highest 1-2% in this country. After all, they signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge designed by an egomaniac libertarian who runs Americans for Tax Reform which threatens politicians of being targeted at that their next re-election campaign if they either don't sign the pledge or they break the pledge.

Well, here's a thought. Maybe we should adopt the philosophy of KSOO Radio Host Rick Knobe and think twice about re-electing people who can't seem to find common ground and compromise that serves everyone. Knobe read this letter on his radio program yesterday afternoon and I reprint it here without edit. I believe Lauck is a senior advisor/counsel to Senator Thune.

From: Rick Knobe
To: Jon Lauck
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 2:11 PM
Subject: beyond disappointed


jon,

realize you and i are not close friends. however, i need to vent someplace where it might make a difference........sending something directly to the senators and congresswoman will get lost......

this is a thought process more than anything......

as a citizen, taxpayer, voter, i am tired of hearing,,,"we can't cut this, or that, or the other thing...."   i understand "protecting your base." nobody has to change, altar their course, or even think about traveling the down road differently.......damn the potholes, full speed ahead....

we are now at a "t" intersection....we can't keep going straight ahead....the sharp turn left, raising taxes, will not give us the long term results the country needs.....the sharp turn right, cutting everything, will not give us the results we need either........

i was praying somehow middle ground could be found and we would begin creating "the road less traveled."(at least by the federal government) neither the "left nor the right road people" wanted to create a new road.

we are a poorer country, in all senses of the word, because of it........

this is what i want from john and chrisite.......i want them to stand up and say "in south dakota we can get by without, this, this and this(specific cuts they know could and should be made).....and make them happen....who knows some other senator or congress person might get a conscience and say the same thing.........

jon,  this country needs "leadership." we elect people to lead us....our track record of late is electing people to protect our special interests and hence the problem......

i don't think i voted incorrectly when i voted for john....however, it feels as if he is becoming a parrot, and not a true leader........

i am not sure about my vote for christie.....going to give her a few more months before i decide.........

if congress has not made real and substantial progress on fixing the deficit and debt, my vote will not go to christie, nor will it go to johnson(or his son-don't like family dynastys) nor to john thune....

not ready to throw my tv out the window(network) but am becoming increasingly sad, disappointed, frustrated, and angry about the lack of getting even simple things done...

not one budget resolution done on time...........if this were the private sector.........when the shareholders have their annual meeting, all the board of directors would be fired for lack of competence...........and maybe personally sued for mismanagement.......

i hope you pass these comments on to the senators and congresswoman.......i am not the "enemy." i am a person with some political experience. i know it is not easy to lead. but that is the job......so start leading by specific example..

we know one person can make a difference. we know one person can start a "movement."

i want john, tim,  and christie to make that difference and start the movement.....the consequences for the country if they don't is dire...and so is their political future and legacy....

thanks,

rick knobe

I just don't think Thune, Noem and Johnson have the personal conviction to start a movement. They have their party positions and have been espousing those party positions over and over again. The problem is no one in Washington does.  The public approval rating of Congress has sunk to 9%. The public does not hold Congress is high esteem and yet Washington does not seem to care. They care about their own agenda, their party's agenda.

And that's why we are in the mess we are in. Maybe it is time to throw everyone out and start over. How much worse can it get?

8 comments:

  1. If you go back and look at the Grover Norquist piece on last Sunday's 60 Minutes, you will see in the last minute it shows that both Senator John Thune and Kristi Noem have signed "The Pledge"!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. First off, sending this email to Jon, one of the slimiest senate staffers off all time, won't accomplish much. And secondly, I advise Rick to learn how to spell his representatives names before chastising them. It's 'KRISTI' not 'CHRISTIE'

    ReplyDelete
  3. Really South DaCola? Speak to the issue addressed here. Throw them out? Who made you an editor.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey, I ain't know grammar king, and I certainly won't beat other people down about it. But if you are going to send a critical email to John Thune's COS, you best know how to spell the first name of our only congressperson. Especially since you have a daily radio program talking about politics and such in the state's largest city. C'mon Rhwick Nobee!

    ReplyDelete
  5. From Gayle:
    I am all for getting all of the politicians out and starting over, but who will we replace them with? Who can afford to run? Those who can afford to are coming from big business or politics and we all know we have corruption in both area.
    In the past 4-5 national elections I have felt like I voted for the lesser of the two evils. Many people do not bother to vote because they feel it really won't make a difference who we get in, as if they were not corrupt, they will be.
    Years ago I got an email with a picture of a dozen or so men on a beach, they had their pants down by their ankles and were mooning the camera. The capition: Our politicians... bend them over and they all look alike. Never forgot that picture, as it is so true.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lauck is a Senior advisor NOT Chief of Staff. Good guy though.

    ReplyDelete
  7. have a good friend named "christie"......so i had a "senior" or rick perry moment....at least you didn't hammer me for the lack of caps, and other small errors......as usual, people get hung up on the small stuff and let the big stuff go by......the intent of the message stands....rick knobe

    ReplyDelete
  8. The current makeup of the U.S congress is about 56% Republican. Makes sense to me that the "Super Committee" should be comprised of 56% Republicans. The Republican party holds a majority due to the fact they had more individuals voted in by the citizens. Evidently the populus wants a majority of Republicans in the House so the committee's make up should reflect the citizens vote. How can the minority party get equal representation?

    ReplyDelete