Well, we have just anybody [with lots of money, that is] running our country like it was a private company that can be raided by greedy executives and stockholders. The more I think about it, the more I support time and term limitations on elected officials at the national level.
The President only get 2 terms of office for a maxium of 8 years.
I think we should limit the Senate to a maxium of 2 terms or 12 years.
The House of Representatives to 5 terms or 10 years (to correspond to the census and the population changes that correlate to the various districts).
Supreme Court Justices should not get a life terms; limit them to 25 years on the bench or age 72, which ever comes first.
The other thing, is the revolving door concept of post-government employment. No elected or appointed official should be allowed to take a job for 3 years with any company remotely connected to the type of business the official oversaw. ie. Defense official going to work for Boeing, etc. Talk about reducing corruption and influence peddling!
We limit them and their corruption just like they limit us.
Definitely don't vote for millionairs, unless that is all that is on the ballot.

come to think of it, theres a lot of homeless/unemployed etc that could use a good paying job...lets start a "from the streets to congress" program. at least they know a little bit about the needs of a commoner...

i've always thought about the prospect of a lottery type of thing to pick our representatives. kind of like jury duty...when your number gets picked, you serve in the legislature or if your lucky maybe youre president for a year.

people always respond with a sentiment along the lines of well, we dont want just anybody running our country...kind of ironic isnt it?

i think my twelve year old cousin could do a better job than half these people...

bush is definitely not smarter than a fifth grader

The problem with Mr. Ruiz article is that it degrades down into a generalized rant against anyone who has been successful in this economy. There is a huge difference between Obama with his "$2 million" (I thought he was worth more)and the corporate elites who are worth $100's of millions or billions. The difference is huge. By the time you pay for your retirement, your kids education, etc $2million is certainly very comfortable I would presume, but it doesn't carry with it any of the societal/political power that comes with the hundreds of millions owned by the corporate elite. In addition, the successful small businessperson does create new jobs as oppose to corporate america which doesn't. In addition, small businesspeople end up paying 50% of their income in federal, social security, medicare, state and local taxes. Corporations increasingly pay little tax (only 7-9% of federal tax revenue as compared with 35% back in the 1950's). The corporate elites pay at most 15-18% of their income in taxes. Ruiz is angry at the person paying 50% in taxes just as much as the much, much, much richer elite who only pay 15% or with stock options even less. Obama and the other single digit millionaires should be down on their knees in humble gratitude for such good fortune. But we shouldn't make the mistake of lumping them in with the corporate elite.

"Well, there's a friend of mine down in Texas say: Those who say it can't be done shouldn't interrupt those who are doing it." - Jim Hightower"

He's got a million of em! And most are just as true as that.

"You know it wasn't that long ago they said progressivism is dead. Populism, liberalism, environmentalism, just forget it! We got a permanent Republican revolution taking place. You can't win with progressive issues

Well, there's a friend of mine down in Texas say: Those who say it can't be done shouldn't interrupt those who are doing it." - Jim Hightower

48 minutes from Daytona State College (where the author works) is Titusville Florida. Clint Curtis is running for Congressman, not president. And you know what, Clint is not wealthy , nor is he a millionaire.

We have young people running on Guaranteed Single Payer Health Care. They are running for local offices like the state legislature (where Barak Obama started). They are not rich millionaire either.

The author states "Now that the Democrats have made a "choice," we can proceed with the inevitable". This implies the Democrats have made a single choice? 1) Acceptance of a Unitary executive – President/King or 2) all candidates are wealthy millionaires.

Which single choice are you talking about?

It's time to move aggressively towards participatory democracy and require the remnants of representative democracy to be more beholding to the wishes of constituent majority... yes, this is VERY frightening to those who believe the ruling class elite should "protect" us from "us".

It's past time to take government back from corporatists and put it into the hands of "WE" the people. We now have the toolset and the basis of a communication network to start the process.

Padraig Pearse,

You've discribed the fantasy that our politics have become well. My only reason to give Obama a look over is that at least some of his campaign money comes from everyday people. If all politicians are bought, at least Obama has been partially bought by the people. It doesn't mean he won't cave in to the corporate elite like all the others have, but he might not.
I just wish I heard him talk more about raising taxes on the corporate elite. Increasing taxes on gross adjusted income and social security as Obama proposes just means the uppermiddleclass small businessman will pay the money that the corporate elites have avoided paying. With 80% of new jobs coming from businesses with less than 25 employees, he ought to leave small business alone and go after corporate capital gains taxes. Switch corporate net income tax (which nobody pays anymore do to running up corporate debt and other loopholes) to a Value Added Tax, combined with a citizen tax credit to make the first $20,000/yr of comsumption tax free. That way the corporations can't get around paying tax and it takes away the tax advantage of corporations running up a bunch of debt. Corporate debt in the last 20 years didn't go to increase productivity and jobs. It just went to make the corporate elites fabulously rich.

Well, both Obama and McCain are fighting to present the most ludicrous and destructive positions available in foreign policy circles. Neither chooses to make the hard choices that will define the domestic economy.

Ralph Nader does a much better job than Obama or McCain in either sphere. Furthermore, Nader has refused to kiss the ring of AIPAC, which makes him the more viable candidate in terms of benefit for the voting public.

"Make your vote count. Vote third party. Don't vote for millionaires."

America is allegedly a two-party political system, NOT a multi-party parliamentary one; it's winner-take-all. If you want to ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE that your vote doesn't count, by all means, vote third party. In our system, for all practical purposes it's precisely the same as voting for the Tooth Fairy, or not voting at all.

That being said, I personally think that the Democratic Party has more than adequately demonstrated to my satisfaction that they are simply the Republican Party in drag; there's a thin opaque window-dressing (very frilly and eye-catching, but actually of little substance which doesn't fundamentally change the underlying reality one iota) of ersatz social liberalism, but on every vital issue that really counts they always vote with their herd; the plutocratic patricians. What is a matter of great pride and insufferable smugness to the Republicans is the dirty little secret of the Democrats, but the end result is always the same. The Democrats consistently and repeatedly betray us to our (and their) corporate masters at every opportunity, comfortably secure in the knowledge that no matter how brutally and frequently they screw me, I'd rather die slowly of necrotizing fasciitis than vote Republican.

I've come to the conclusion that their horse-and-pony show (they are both, of course, equally equine) is really nothing more than an elaborate circus performed in order to give the ignorant plebeian masses the illusion that they have a choice and therefore some stake in the political process and some control over their own destiny. However, keep in mind that of all the horrible things that King George has done, all of the violence to democracy, the Constitution, and to other countries (indeed, the planet itself), NONE of them could have occurred without the complicity, connivance, and often as not outright enthusiastic cooperation of the Democrats.

For many years now, I've voted in primaries not for a candidate that I could support and believe in, but reluctantly, stifling my gag reflex, for the one who I thought was at least marginally less repugnant, and at general elections for no other reason than on the increasingly remote off chance that I might be wrong, and that perhaps, despite all of the incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, my vote really does mean something after all.

Now, corporations tell us who the "viable" candidates are and what the "real" issues are. Corporations own the software that collects and tallies our electronic ballots, and corporations then tell us who "won", even if it bears no discernible relationship (other than inverse) to any sort of objective reality. Now corporations are raising their own private mercenary armies, complete with armor and helicopter gunships, which are beyond the purview of posse comitatus and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

I'm just not at all sure I'll be able to successfully stifle my gag reflex again this November, and once again do my civic duty.

pshaw
Thanks for that. We need more candidates like that in America. Remember Pat Paulsen from the late 60s? His slogan was "I've upped my image-- now up yours"

If Wellstone hadn't been taken out, he'd likely be the democratic president candidate by now.

Rich Griffin July 9 1:41 pm:

I'm usually in agreement with you, and I too think that public service as "elected" representative is a good idea. I like the way Cuba's electoral process works: sort of like bubbling up from the very foundations of society. Out of the unions/guilds, communities, virtual aggregates of citizens comes an elected representative, who then may be elected by his or her peers to the next level.

My issue is with term limits. On the one hand, too much time spent on, say, a banking committee keeps one close to the corporate interests you are supposed to be regulating. However, the time it would take me to become familiar with the law, the issues, and details. . .I shudder to think! People like Feingold and Kucinich prove that IS possible to do time in Congress, gaining expertise and knowledge (and power) without becoming corrupted.

(BTW, was nodding my head at your comments on Glenn Greenwald's FISA/Obama-takes-a-shit-on-the-Constitution-and-progressives story. Then I had to go throw up before I could begin handwriting the letters to those who handed Bush et. al. the gold-plated Get Out of Jail for Free card.)

Make your vote count. Vote third party. Don't vote for millionaires.

An Old saying " money goes to money". In the end, that's the fatal flaw of capitalism.

Now here's a few candidates I could vote for:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/10/2299703.htm?section=justin

Keep in mind that Obama was struggling until his first book started to sell. By corporate Washington standards, Obama is in the poor house. The author is correct in that only the wealthy have a chance to run, but part of that is any candidate needs a small fortune to run if they're going against the mainstream because of our vulnerability to deep pocket legal teams.
Kucinich was effectively eliminated from the race once corporate America stifled him with erroneous lawsuits (he contested his removal from televised debates) which is a favored practice these days. Corporate America has discovered that it is easier to conquer your opponents with money than with the marines.
Many countries have equal airtime provisions and a ban on advanced polls as part of their electoral system. The problem (for big business) with this, is that it severly hampers corporate influence on government. Until people begin rejecting mainstream candidates, nothing will change.

Dennis is my Representative, he always replies to the particulars of my questions so I know he read it, he takes action without fearing any retaliatory strike, he is a generous and decent man. I am going to miss him when I find a new country. Oh, he isn't my Congressperson of Record I chose Dennis, he is in Ohio I am in a morally bankrupt 'burb outside of Philly with a behemoth of a house I cannot sell because the Murderer screwed up the Market. Congressman Kucinich has Ethics and Courage, he is strong in his belief of upholding the Constitution.

Writing in Kucinich in November. Not a millionaire candidate but worth a BILLION to "We The People"!

Rockerbabe1 July 9th, 2008 1:05 pm

A good post. And you keep voting hoping to change things. Please don't stop.

Wealth arises from sustained profits and profits require victims. Government by the propertied classes serves to sustain titles to property and enforces victimization upon all other living things. Such is the reality of thermodynamics.
Until the public obtains title to property, it will remain without political power, the victim of wealth.

.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638

OBAMA TOP CONTRIBUTORS

" You gotta dance with the one who brung ya "

.

Obama does not even compare to McCain...
The author is skewed to even suggest that.

Obama had student loans for crying out loud.
That makes a world of difference to me.

30 years ago my business law class professor would end every class session by saying "It all boils down to how much justice you can afford".

The same idea can be applied to representative government. In the US elected officials "represent" voters.

Each voter gets as much representation as he or she can afford. I donated no money to W's campaigns, therefore, I should expect little or no representation.

Rich Griffin
I really like your idea. I know I could do a better job than most of these jokers. Our Congressman is a horse's ass yet no one runs against him.

I simply won't vote for ANY millionaire candidates. Why do we continue to delude ourselves that these "nice" people will do "good" for others?

I think we would be much better off just putting everybody's names in a hat and every two years pulling 100 names out and that's our government!! Then in two years time, pick out new names. Don't give 'em enough time to do anything too destructive and just make sure no one person gets too much power!! (i.e. Bush!)

Oh please. Obama is a plebian compared to the oil-sucking Caesars that sit in the front rows of government now. The author also doesn't mention that McCain's wife is worth over $100 million.

Until we have public financing of political campaigns, our elected officials at the federal and state levels will be wealthy people as those individuals are the ones with clout, connections and cash - all the ingredients needed to have a fighting chance to compete. And if you ever noticed, most of the elected officials are lawyers or those who regularly brushup against lawyers; it is a wonder any of us understand the laws that govern our lives!
I don't feel representated; I am a woman and none of the Georgia elected officials hears or acts on my beliefs and regularly does just the opposite. Makes one wonder why I even bother to vote.