Skirting a statute

The Washington Times ^ | 6-30-05 | John McCaslin

[JZelle]

All told, 25 lawmakers on Capitol Hill had 10 or more days of unexcused absences in the 108th Congress, amounting to more than $500,000 in illegal salary payments. And 17 of those 25 senators and representatives were out campaigning at the time, according to a recent study by the National Taxpayers Union (NTU).

[JZelle]

So what, it's just taxpayer money! Plenty more where that came from!

[Millee]

You're right. There's a unlimited supply! (CAAACK!)

[theDentist]

And yet he doesn't list a single name...

[Lekker 1]

This kind of CRAP makes me wanna PUKE!!! Why didn't they list the worst offenders?

[billbears]

http://www.ntu.org/main/page.php?PageID=71

Complete list

[newcats]

Nor party affiliation.

[theDentist]

Thanks!

[The Electrician]

And 17 of those 25 senators and representatives were out campaigning at the time

Surely that runs afoul of campaign financing rules. Maybe that is the best route to shaming them into complying - we need some watchdog group with too much money and time on their hands to look into filing lawsuits on this issue... (OK, Klayman, where are you when you're needed?)

[King Prout]

CW2 pingworthy?

[SittinYonder]

billbears - Thanks for the link.

eyespysomething - ping

[malia]

and thank you!!!!

In a real job they would be fired - maybe!

[Bluegrass Conservative]

Of course, if you think about it, we might have been better off without them there. I've always been a believer in "less government is better!" :-)

[kharaku]

We really have to find a way to enforce this.

[mysterio]

Who are we to criticize our ruling class? Four legs good, two legs better!

[isthisnickcool]

We need one simple campaign finance law. One that I'd bet the founders would have put in the Constitution if they saw all the stuff going on today. Here it is:

A person that is seeking to be elected to a federal office and currently on the ballot for such office may only accept money donations or anything else of value from voters currently and legally registered to vote for the office the person is seeking.

No person currently holding a federal elected office may seek a different federal office without resigning from their current federal office.

This would stop most lobbying, it would stop people like Hillary Clinton, George Soros and other NGA's from interfering (with money) in elections they have no business sticking their nose's in, it would make those elected go home to promote themselves to their voters, it would result in more people registering to vote because they would have a real say-so in what their representative was doing because the elected person would have to listen to them, it would do away with any more Chinese money getting into elections. Something like this would make people like John McCain less powerful since they would not have as much power anymore to act as if being a Senator from one state means he has a national office.

None of this will happen but it would be nice if we could get back to the founders idea of a representative republic. Allowing these bozos in Washington to only get cash from their own voters would get us closer to that.

[nmh]

Will I be getting a REFUND soon?

;)

[so_real]

Time for the offenders to cough it up or be jailed for theft.

[American_Centurion]

Congress Member

*Denotes a Congress Member who ran for higher office

Days Missed 2003	Days Missed 2004	Final Total
Bell, Chris (D)		13	$8,188.44
Campbell, Ben Nighthorse (R)		11	$6,928.68
Carson, Brad*(D)		19	$11,967.72
Collins, Mac*(R)		18	$11,337.84
Conyers, John(D)	17		$10,477.61
DeMint, James*(R)		37	$23,305.56
Deutsch, Pete*(D)		23	$14,487.24
Edwards, John*(D)	52	50	$63,543.16
Fletcher, Ernie*(R)	27		$16,640.91
Gephardt, Richard*(D)	85	46	$81,362.53
Graham, Bob*(D)	41		$25,269.53
Greenwood, Jim(R)		14	$8,818.32
Gutierrez, Luis(D)	19	23	$26,197.51
Hoeffel, Joseph*(D)		14	$8,818.32
Isakson, Johnny*(R)		15	$9,448.20
John, Chris*(D)		18	$11,337.84
Kerry, John*(D)	76	70	$90,932.68
Kucinich, Dennis*(D)		28	$17,636.64
Lieberman, Joseph*(D)	63		$38,828.79
Lipinski, William(D)		18	$11,337.84
Majette, Denise*(D)		22	$13,857.36
Meeks, Gregory(D)		15	$9,448.20
Mollohan, Alan(D)		15	$9,448.20
Nethercutt, George*(R)		13	$8,188.44
Toomey, Patrick*(R)		19	$11,967.72

[Gabz]

Allowing these bozos in Washington to only get cash from their own voters would get us closer to that.

Some of the kinks would need to be worked out - but you've come up with a GREAT idea.