From the Inbox

Today's entry contains a very good idea - one that could go a long way toward putting the country back on its feet and back on the right track. However...

Let's get to the e-mail first:

Please consider forwarding, if you agree.

I have cleaned this e-mail of all other names, sending it to you in hopes that you will keep it going and keep it clean. This is something I believe in and I hope you all read it all the way through.

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months and 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. Term Limits. 12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past , present and future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Maybe it is time.

LET'S FIX CONGRESS!!!!! If you agree, pass it on. If not, just delete. You are one of my 20+. Please keep it going.

Now for the "However..."

According to the National Archives (www.archives.gov):

The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. None of the 27 amendments to the Constitution have been proposed by constitutional convention.

Now, what do you suppose the odds are of any Congressperson introducing such a thing to their peers? Hmm...

If our politicians were the kind of stand-up people with the necessary gumption to cut their own throats for the good of the country, well, we really wouldn't need such an amendment now, would we?

Why Bayh Quit - Sylvia Smith

A great read from Sylvia Smith:

If your not-so-wonderful job is a stepping stone to your ideal career, you put up with it because it’ll get you where you really want to be. If your ho-hum occupation is the only way you have to support a family, you suck it up and look for fulfillment elsewhere.

But if your sought-after career is not going to happen in the foreseeable future, and if you have other resources or talents – why hang around in a job you find dissatisfying and even distasteful?

Finish reading HERE.

60 Senate Seats?

It looks very possible at this juncture:

"There is a strong possibility that Barack Obama will ask Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) to serve as his Secretary of Commerce, Democratic Senate aides tell the Huffington Post. Provided that Al Franken emerges victorious in the Minnesota recount, it would give Democrats in the Senate a 60th caucusing member, as New Hampshire's Democratic governor John Lynch would appoint Gregg's replacement."

Two "Celebs" Vie for Hillary's Senate Seat

New York Governor David Paterson, who has the sole authority to name Hillary Rodham Clinton's replacement as New York Senator, has a couple of interesting applicants. The "quiet and non-assertive" daughter of a former president, and a screechy voiced television sitcom star. That's right - we have a face-off in New York State between. . . Caroline Kennedy and Fran Drescher!

Breaking: Begich leads Stevens by 3 votes in Alaska

Via The Anchorage Daily News:

The elections division still has over 10,000 ballots left to count today and thousands more through next week, but the latest numbers show Mark Begich leading Sen. Ted Stevens 125,019 to 125,016. The new numbers, reflecting nearly 43,000 absentee ballots counted today, are from all over the state. Election night, Ted Stevens led the Democratic Begich by about 3,000 votes.

The state today is counting a total of about 60,000 absentee and questioned ballots. The Division of Elections said it expects to count roughly 35,000 additional absentee and questioned ballots over the next week.

The counting of ballots in the state of Alaska is making Lake County, Indiana look like Speedy Gonzales!

Jeff Merkley Wins in Oregon

Jeff Merkley has eked out a win over Gordon Smith in the state of Oregon, expanding the Democratic lead in the United States Senate. The final tally, with a tied 47-47% percentage, shows Merkley with a 2,547 advantage.

Smith had ran ads aligning himself with President-elect Barack Obama earlier in the campaign. Obama, in the only instance of him doing so, ran an ad in Oregon in support of Merkley. Congrats to the new senator from Oregon!

New Mexico, New Hampshire Senate Seats go Blue

CNN has declared Thomas Udall the winner in the race for Senator from New Mexico, and Jeanne Shaheen for the same slot in New Hampshire. These wins place the Democratic Senate advantage at 55-45. Five. . .to . . .go. . .

Question of the night (To be answered WAY past MY bedtime) Will Alaska re-elect convicted felon Ted Stevens?

North Carolina tosses out Elizabeth Dole

CNN has declared Kay Hagan the winner in the race for Senator from North Carolina. Early poll results show that Hagan is even outperforming Barack Obama, who appears on track to easily place the state in the Democratic column this year. Hagan, a state senator, takes a seat that has been in Republican hands for 35 years. The Southern state has voted Republican in the last seven presidential elections.

Ted Stevens indicted on seven counts

Good News for Mark Begich:

The "bridge to nowhere man" was indicted today on seven felony counts of concealing more than a quarter of a million dollars in house renovations and gifts from a powerful oil contractor that lobbied him for government aid. Stevens, 84, is the first sitting U.S. senator to face federal indictment since 1993.

The contractor in the case, VECO, normally builds oil processing equipment and pipelines, but its employees helped do the work on Stevens' home which included a new first floor, garage, wraparound deck, plumbing and electrical wiring. He's also accused of accepting from VECO a Viking gas grill, furniture and tools, and of failing to report swapping an old Ford for a new Land Rover to be driven by one of his children.

Stevens was already facing a tough re-election battle against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, who has been leading him in recent polls. Move another Senate seat into the Democratic column for 2008. Welcome aboard, Alaska!

Jesse Ventura: I'm NOT running

Jesse Ventura has just announced that he is NOT running for the office of senator from the state of Minnesota. He reserved the right to change his mind before tomorrow's 5 PM filing deadline. After listening to Ventura's faltering and meandering speech on Larry King Live this evening, I think "The Body" took a few too many to "The Head" over the years. . .Either way, I'm sure Al Franken is breathing a bit easier tonight!

Would you buy a used car from this guy? I wouldn't buy a sandwich if the guy across the counter looked like that!

Hagel Calls it "Quits"

Nebraska's Chuck Hagel plans to leave the Senate after two terms as a Republican Party maverick, according to sources close to the Senator. Hagel has scheduled a press conference for 10 a.m. Monday at the Omaha Press Club where he's expected to announce that "he will not run for re-election and that he does not intend to be a candidate for any office in 2008".

His retirement leaves another GOP Senate seat without an incumbent at a time when the Republican Party is struggling to stem potential losses and must defend more seats than Democrats. Possible successors on the Republican side include Attorney General Jon Bruning, financial adviser Pat Flynn, former Gov. Mike Johanns, Omaha Mayor Hal Daub, and Columbus businessman Tony Raimondo.

Former Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey has voiced interest in returning to the Senate. Other Democratic contenders could include Scott Kleeb, who lost a race to Republican Adrian Smith in the 3rd Congressional District last year, and Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey.

Today's Senate vote

“A majority of the United States Senate just voted on Iraq, and a majority of the United States Senate is against the escalation in Iraq.” - Harry Reid

Today, for the second time, Republican Senators blocked efforts to force debate on the resolution opposing President Bush’s troop buildup in Iraq, but defections among them have emboldened Democrats to promise new attempts to derail BushCo's war machine. The 56-to-34 vote, just four votes short of the 60 needed to break a procedural stalemate, suggests that Democrats are slowly pulling Senate Republicans over to their side. Seven Republicans and one Independent joined 48 Democrats in voting "aye" today.

Democratic leaders intend to quickly introduce meatier proposals on Iraq after next week's break:

“We will be relentless, there will be resolution after resolution, amendment after amendment, all forcing this body to do what it has not done in the previous three years: debate and discuss Iraq.” - Senator Charles E. Schumer (NY)

“The American people can see what is happening here,and they know that some want to prevent a vote at all costs.” - Senator Ben Nelson (NE)

Details of the Democratic game plan remain under wraps, but will likely focus upon the mission of our troops in Iraq and ways to authorize funding for those troops now deployed while disallowing any additional spending for escalations.

Some Republican responses (and my thoughts on them) to today's actions:

“We want a debate about Iraq that includes funding for the troops. They’ve denounced the surge. The question is, are they going to fund the troops?” - Senator Mitch McConnell (KY)

- Yes, Mitch. WE support our troops and WE will fund our troops in the field and their redeployment. WE, however, will NOT fund "surges" at this president's whim.

“This week’s voting gave the world a glimpse of democracy’s vigor. The next votes should provide unmistakable assurance of this nation’s resolve in achieving success.” - Lapdog Tony Snow (DC)

- That it will, Tony. We've picked up five Republican votes since we last discussed this; I say we're on a roll here.

“This is the United States Senate. The majority cannot tell the minority what we are going to have one vote on, take it or leave it.” - Senator Jim Bunning (KY)

- You mean like the way things ran the last six years there, Jimbo?

“If you think we are in the middle of civil war, cut off funding.” - Senator Lindsey Graham (SC)

- Lindsey, the only voices I hear talking about cutting off funding for our current forces seem to be coming from your side of the aisle. What gives?

All this posturing for a vote that would merely open debate to begin considering the measure passed yesterday by the House. A simple message that “Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on Jan. 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.” Republicans are clearly ducking a vote directly opposing Bush's misguided attempts to escalate our forces even as many of them display significant reservations about the conduct of the war and it's political repercussions for them.

Al Franken for Senate!

I missed Al's online announcement yesterday on his final show due to my "snow day". . .but here is the video: