Unfortunately I know and I am not pleased with it.

Some care only about money and that makes for personal greed

Some care only about helping other and that makes for social Welfare

I get caught in the middle and am very lonely there.

So bear with me Lou Card. Help me figure this out. I am looking for an answer along with you. Well anyway, the current Congress is the 111th. It runs from
January 3, 2009, through January 3, 2011.

It is divided into two sessions. The first session started on January 6, 2009. It ended on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2009.

The second session, where we are now, started on January 12, 2010.

So far, from what I can find, the second session has voted by roll call (not all votes are roll call) on 460 pieces of legislation. During the first session, some 971 bills were voted on by roll call.

That's 1431 roll call votes to pass legislation since Jan. 3, 2009.

Obviously, not every thing is filibustered.

What has been filibustered or divided by party policitcs?

Your not alone. Idealists are a dime a dozen. Massachusetts elected Scott Brown as a Republican and already he is being accused of being a RINO.

Many get into politics as an idealist but quickly learn to play the system.
The closest to perfect we ever had, in my opinion, was when Clinton was the president. When the people elected a Republican congress, Clinton listened to the people and shifted to the right.
Poll after poll confirms that the people don't like the direction that this president and congress are going.
They are not listening to the people. This regime is acting like a tyrant, plain and simple.

Sad, but I can't disagree with you. I sure wish we could put logic and common sense into the equation before votes are taken. Unfortunately, what is right has very little to do with the way we pass laws today. I am living my dream here in the Villages and will not move into a shack in the boonies to share what I have accomplished with my life, but yet I feel the pain of those that just can't seem to get their head far enough above water to breathe easy. Well, gotta go to Home depot for some stuff to improve on our perfect home. :wave:

I thought we were working together to figure this out. I feel ignored Lou Card. I guess I'm on my own.

On the issues of health care reform and immigration enforcement
 

and illegal immigration....does anyone believe our so called representatives in Washington are doing the bidding of their constituencies?
The answer is a very loud NO!!!
We the people are not represented by the lawmakers...politics as usual rules....a promised change Obama has not nor intended to touch.

btk

The congress is not listening to the people. Not all of congress but nearly all of those who are in charge. They do not represent the people. If not the people then who do they represent?

They give the people laws that are not wanted. Who do they represent?

The tax the people with taxes that they do not want. Who do they represent?

I could go on and on. Those who control congress are not doing what the people want. Who do they represent?

Who, who, who?

Do they represent you? If not, then who?


Yoda

Ruling Class
 

They no longer represent. They now rule. There will have to be another revolution to restore order. The Founding Father's knew it would happen eventually.

I heard a speech by Pulitzer Prize winner George Will where he said the five most beautiful words ever written are found in the first five words of The First Amendment: Congress Shall Make No Law...

Gridlock is an American achievement he explained. Government is set up to be safe.; not efficient.

Three branches of government and all the overriding checks and balances are the unique design of this Republic where we live. We are the envy of other nations because of this system. When one branch of government or one party, gets to much power...well you see where it leads.

Today's political argument, yesterday's political argument and the political argument to come in the future, is an argument between the principals designed my James Madison in the 1770s and the political princiipals designed by Woodrow Wilson in the late-1800s.

These principals, and the political argument we have today is whether we live by politics designed by our Founding Fathers with the belief we have natural rights or by politics designed by the Progressive goverment where the government dispenses these rights to the people.

As Villages Kahuna used to say, look at Greece.

You get to complex. I am just a simple farm boy.

Farmers are some of my most intelligent thinking friends. Playing innocent because you may be from the country doesn't work with this mountain girl.

I'll break it down to this: What issues have been voted on along party lines?

how about the healthcare bill?

The main points of argument in the bill were cost, abortion, public options and transparency of other items in the bill that had nothing to do with healthcare.

The costs will bankrupt this country and the individual states that form this country. No one is arguing that now. They know the debt and increased costs of healthcare reform are unsubstainable.

Well, now we've found out that federal funding for abortions is going to happen despite Obama saying it wouldn't.

That was one point the Republicans and many Democrats refused to budge on in the debate. The bill was written in such a way to allow it despite promises it didn't.

On the point of the public option. Did you realize that Congress is still debating changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or healthcare reform? Today, yes today, as I type, Congressional Dems are working on a plan for national healthcare or the public option. Total government control of our health care system.

Democrats are saying this is a way to save and cut costs.

Do you remember Obama's Ethics and Transparency Pledge? Part of his pledge was the sunlight before signing promise to make government more open and accountaable. He said, "I will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days."

Without going through the entire list in its lenghty entirity, Obama has broken this promise time and time again. Including healthcare reform.

Besides transparency the argument, not just Republicans, but many Democrats and Independents, had with the bill was honest open debate. They didn't even get to see the 2300 page plus bill until hours before it was going to be voted on.

Some 20 states have authorized their Attorney Generals to file suit fighting the federal government over the bill that passed and Obama signed into law. These attorneys say it is unConstitutional.

Democrats who were opposed to the bill and could have kept it from passing got back door deals and some deals they proudly boasted about in order to vote for passage of the bill.

Republicans, being in the minority, had many ideas and proposals, but they were shot down by the Dems in contol.