Bringing Congress Back from the Abyss of Corruption

Bill Whittle is fired up. WOW! Many members of Congress have a rather elitist attitude which leads them to think of much of the taxpayer's money as a big slush fund for their discretionary use. They are more fond of Washington than their home districts. Bill Whittle urges people who aren't very attracted to politics to serve for two, four or six years. Rather persuasively. Can you tell he's a screenwriter? Reminds me of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Lawmakers passing laws they haven't read are "perilously close to treason". "Get the lawyers and aides to come to the townhalls so that people can meet their TRUE representatives".

If you can't run for office, how do you get your representative to take his or her responsibiities more seriously?

There's a disagreement between Charles Krauthammer and Andy McCarthy about whether or not is is counter-productive for conservatives to be loud and angry at townhalls. Ace comes down on the Krauthammer side, but not fully. If jeering and hooting is the only way to keep representatives from steamrolling you with platitudes instead of answering tough questions, jeer and hoot. But make sure that you have a good question. And let them speak.

Please consider all the options available at this important turning point and let your representatives know what changes you want to see and what changes you don't like. Be polite. Or be loud, if absolutely necessary. Peter Kirsanow says:

Frankly, it would be disconcerting if town-hall attendees were quiet and dispassionate. Politicians are proposing to dramatically alter the relationship between citizen and state, remake nearly 1/6 of the American economy, expand the federal deficit and debt to science-fiction levels and assume control of some of the most important and personal aspects of our lives — all without even reading the bill. And all the while we're supposed to behave as if this were no different than some sleepy Board of Zoning Appeals meeting?

If Americans can't get energized by something of this magnitude then our national character has changed radically — and not for the better.

But don't act crazy. No shout-downs. That just doesn't work for conservatives. Like Ace says,

Incidentally, I really don't think people got what I was saying yesterday and read all the nuance out of it to reduce it to "we have to be nicer," which I never said at all.

I do worry that some angry lunkheads will camera-hog and take the spotlight off of more persuasive, better-informed questioners. But I'm a fan of the jeering and hooting of evasive answers and lies.

Angry blowhards filled with hate and with shaky grasp of the facts shouldn't be on television.

They should start blogs, like I did.

Use short, bold phrases to draw attention, but then add some detail. Talking points and slogans are good to get attention, but they are not enough. President Obama's campaign team is bussing people to Townhalls. They plan to keep activists at congressional offices all during the August break. Most conservatives aren't that organized and can't spare that kind of time, but do what you can do to influence how healthcare will be regulated in the future. Nothing wrong with using the president's tactics to stand up for your own views. But choose your tactics wisely. And have in mind what kind of regulation you DO want for our medical system. No need to read five drafts of thousand-page bills. But we do need to do some homework.