Rhonda wrote on June 29, 2007 01:30 PM: What both parties are doing is poloarizing the US with all of their mudd slinging back and forth. I am sickened by the divisiveness of our government. The ones that are hurt to most are us "We The People" or did they forget that we pay their salaries. Look the Democratic party is trying and the Republician party rubber stamped everyone that this corrupt administration has done. I ditto the comments from Jon and Anthony.

Jon Hamel wrote on June 07, 2007 08:28 AM: Anthony . . . you appear to be politically savvy and literate based on your two posts contained in this thread. However, consider again your last closing argument: “And yet Democrats are the corrupt and power-mad?” Now, consider my argument that both Republicans and Democrats in fact are both corrupt and power-mad. I would argue that our current form of Government, that being a majority rule Democracy assures that end result over time. Since the time of Adams and Jefferson a battle has been waged between the concept of a Republic which supports the rule of law as written in our Constitution and the political system of a Majority rule Democracy where the rule of man dominates the rule of law. In part, we fought a Civil war over this issue. After the Civil war the passage of the 14th amendment was to help assure the State Government’s recognition of natural human rights, as enumerated in the first ten amendments of the US Constitution. Then the country entered the Progressive era and we were again on the path of a Majority rule Democracy, the people had spoken, or had got suckered in depending on your point of view. Then when the Keynesian School of economic theory became popular, our Government found a good reason to expand its regulation, and thus controlling, of the private sector of our country. Since then our country has drifted away from adhering to our Western Philosophical traditions of Individual Freedom and Liberty. We are on the move to a Collective form of Government, Corrupt and power-mad persons in Government are simply enabled. In a limited rule Republic, the same person simply would not be enabled.

Anthony wrote on June 05, 2007 10:55 PM: "corrupt, power-mad, elitist politicians."

That describes the idiots in the GOP who have run this country into the ground over the last 12 years by:

- shutting down the Federal Government because the Speaker of the House felt like he got snubbed

- impeaching a President whose popularity was in the low 60% range, only to see him leave office with a higher rating than when he was sworn in

- turning the first budget surplus in 30 years into a budget deficit, then allowing the President to "cook the books" by continuing to allow Iraq war funding to be treated as off-the-books "supplementals" so that the deficit looks smaller than it really is

- doing nothing but rubber-stamping everything the current President wanted, and loudly braying that even the slightest amount of oversight was not permitted because, by God, we were at war

- rushing back in the middle of the night to usurp state judicial authority because they didn't like the decision made by a constitutionally-recognized court

And yet Democrats are the corrupt and power-mad? What color is the sky where you live?

Bill Sanford wrote on June 05, 2007 07:31 PM: These Democrats are the same ones that contolled the House for 40 years... up until 1994. Why would ANYONE expect them to be any different than they were? They're simply picking up where they left off - corrupt, power-mad, elitist politicians.

Beytovin wrote on June 05, 2007 12:23 PM: 'Tis a wonder of the modern world that there aren't any political assassinations in this once-great nation...

Robbie wrote on June 05, 2007 11:40 AM: If the Democrats lose control of Congress in 2008, a big reason will be that their entire election platform was a sack of lies.

They promised to drain the swamp? Instead we have the most ethically-challenged Congress ever --- and growing dirtier by the day.

They promised to end the Iraq war. But every time they've been given the opportunity to do so (by voting to defund the war), they've folded like cheap lawn chairs.

The only thing that changed in 2006 was the majority/minority status of each party.

Mike Argeline wrote on June 05, 2007 08:07 AM: No truer words have ever been spoken.
Funny,I haven't heard a word about this on the evening news.What a shock.....NOT

pete wrote on June 05, 2007 07:58 AM: Unfortunately, the only people who can vote these representatives out are the same people who benefit from their pork. Little chance nothing will get done about it.

Anthony wrote on June 05, 2007 07:49 AM: You're wrong.

Under current House rules, Congressman Murtha has no power over appropriations requests made by members of the Republican party. Those appropriations are controlled by the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee - Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-California).

Steve wrote on June 05, 2007 05:57 AM: Only a complete fool would be surprised by this. As long as the American voter keeps voting these criminals back into office, nothing will change. If the voter wants to get control of pork spending and all of the other criminal activities in Congress, they need to vote out the incumbent until the members of Congress get the idea they are there to represent the voters and not themselves and special interests. Sadly, the American voter doesn't seem to care and Congress knows that.