My congressman is a sneaky idiot

[Jeremy]

So I got an expensive-looking pamphlet in the mail, this is what it says inside:

"I've secured more than $2 million dollars in grants from the Waterbury area, with $294,000 going to demolish abandoned buildings so we can attract new businesses and more jobs."

Wow, I bet he fought hard for the federal government to give him those grants. Fought hard to destroy the 10th Amendment that is!

But that's not the half of it. So the election is coming up soon, right? Yup, yup. Well this isn't a campaign pamphlet... it wasn't made by his campaign. He sent it out from his office, and ya, you guessed it. This is what it says on the back, "This mailing was prepared, published, and mailed at taxpayer expense."

And of course he sent it out now! Perfect timing. He has competetion now and instead of doing it through a campaign, he gets name recognition up by sending this out (he pays nothing)... and it even has all these quotes of his everywhere making him look just soooooooooo great. WHAT AN IDIOT!

[Mister Grieves]

The real idiots are the voters who fall for it, and I'm sure there will be many.

[qh4dotcom]

Who is he?

[acptulsa]

Hi, my name is acptulsa and my congressman, John Sullivan, is a sneaky idiot, too. Is this where the twelve step program meets?

[SnappleLlama]

Hi, my name is acptulsa and my congressman, John Sullivan, is a sneaky idiot, too. Is this where the twelve step program meets?

LOL!

Hi, my name is SnappleLlama and my congressman Todd Platts is an idiot.

*insert crying eagle pic*

note: he's really not that bad, but he's pro-Iraqi war :(

[Jeremy]

Who is he?

Chris Murphy. He's not even one of those old career politicians yet! Sheesh, he might as well be... but he was just elected recently and he's pretty young. Hopefully he loses this year, but it's not likely. He's a Democrat... in Connecticut...

[Truth Warrior]

Duh!!

[MRoCkEd]

well the republican won't be any better
vote for the green party:
http://www.newmenu.org/haroldburbank
he won't win, but hey

[fr33domfightr]

After writing to my elected representatives, and reading their responses, it seems very clear to me that our representatives don't represent the constituents in their district. Have any one of you also detected this? Do you think there is any legal recourse to get representatives to actually represent the views of those in the district, as opposed to just following the president, RNC, or DNC leadership??

Not only that, but how much time does your representative actually spend in their districts anymore? More often than not, they're in Washington D.C. and don't have a clue what the people back home think!!!!

FF

[acptulsa]

After writing to my elected representatives, and reading their responses, it seems very clear to me that our representatives don't represent the constituents in their district. Have any one of you also detected this? Do you think there is any legal recourse to get representatives to actually represent the views of those in the district, as opposed to just following the president, RNC, or DNC leadership??

Hey! Those lobbyists are constituents, too! Well, a couple of them, anyway...

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

Hi, my name's aspiringconstitutionalist and my congressman is also a sneaky idiot.

I emailed my congressman, Rep. Dave Hobson (R-OH), not long ago asking him to vote against the HCR 362 (naval blockade of Iran bill). He sent me a letter back saying that the US faces "no greater challenge" than Iran (a challenge to WHAT? what can a tinpot country like Iran challenge us on?), because they provide military assistance to Hamas (who's never attacked us) and Hezbollah (who's left us alone ever since we stopped occupying their homelands in Lebanon), and because they support the resistance movements in Iraq and Afghanistan (all the more reason to get out of those countries). He basically laughed off the 12/3/07 NIE report that showed Iran wasn't developing nukes and claims that our posture toward Iran is justified by their refusal to suspend their uranium enrichment (which, last I checked, was perfectly legal under the NPT). He spent a paragraph lauding our efforts to "isolate" Iran and force it to comply with the dictates of international bureaucracies, as though it were a good thing, but this sentence really takes the cake: "To strengthen our diplomacy, the United States has maintained a substantial naval presence in the Persian Gulf." LOL! Yes, yes, we're surrounding Iran with nuclear subs and aircraft carriers, in the name of "diplomacy". WTF? He then goes on to use the Hormuz harassment incident (which is almost certainly the work of a radio prankster) as more justification for war, and then ends the BS letter saying "I will keep your views in mind." Like hell he will.

Representative Dave Hobson (R-OH-7). Sneaky idiot.

[Jeremy]

well the republican won't be any better
vote for the green party:
http://www.newmenu.org/haroldburbank
he won't win, but hey

you live in this district? =o

Well... I guess it's like a quarter of the state, lol

[Milton]

you live in this district? =o

Well... I guess it's like a quarter of the state, lol


I think we are screwed no matter who we vote for. I seriously debate moving out of CT sometimes.

[AJ Antimony]

I'd send it back with a note that says "Bye bye vote!"

[HOLLYWOOD]

Did you contact your Pandering Congressman and ask him what "EARMARK" he inserted for the money? Then ask him, what VOTES he had to compromise to get his earmarks? ;)

have you review your politician's political; funding, Expense paid trips, Junkets, travel?

You can usually find the associations very easily.

http://www.opensecrets.org/ (http://www.opensecrets.org/)

http://www.legistorm.com/ (http://www.legistorm.com/)

http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm (http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm)

http://www.govtrack.us/ (http://www.govtrack.us/)

http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=H8CA05035 (http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=H8CA05035)

good sites to build a dossier on congressional politicians, staffers, public office holders...

[LittleLightShining]

Chris Murphy. He's not even one of those old career politicians yet! Sheesh, he might as well be... but he was just elected recently and he's pretty young. Hopefully he loses this year, but it's not likely. He's a Democrat... in Connecticut...Funny. Our freshman representative Peter Welch, also a Democrat, pulled the same stunt.

What does he want to replace those abandoned buildings with anyway? Papa John's and another Home Depot? (I have family in the Valley.) Maybe Waterbury can get a Renaissance Place like Naugatuck?:rolleyes:

[ThePieSwindler]

Chris Murphy. He's not even one of those old career politicians yet! Sheesh, he might as well be... but he was just elected recently and he's pretty young. Hopefully he loses this year, but it's not likely. He's a Democrat... in Connecticut...

Lol thats my Rep from back home in connecticut.. so youre in dist 5 eh? Burbs west of hartford here. For reasons already well covered in this thread, ive never liked Murphy, but then again, hes just doing what everyone else in congress does. Everyone in this forum could make this thread about their congressman!

[MRoCkEd]

Everyone in this forum could make this thread about their congressman!
unless you live in lake jackson of course

[ThePieSwindler]

unless you live in lake jackson of course

Even paul has his pork barrel blemishes that the OP laments about... but in general, yes if you live in Lake Jackson, youre the one exception! :D

[Knightskye]

So I got an expensive-looking pamphlet in the mail, this is what it says inside:

"I've secured more than $2 million dollars in grants from the Waterbury area, with $294,000 going to demolish abandoned buildings so we can attract new businesses and more jobs."

Wow, I bet he fought hard for the federal government to give him those grants. Fought hard to destroy the 10th Amendment that is!

I don't understand how he's destroying the 10th Amendment.

[acptulsa]

I don't understand how he's destroying the 10th Amendment.

Federal grants are being used to "modify the behavior"--and the landscape--of the states.

[MRoCkEd]

I just received a questionnaire from Murphy to be mailed back.
Here's a portion of it:

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/1540/sc00b62052ag5.jpg

[MRoCkEd]

I just received a letter from murphy about the bailout.

"The economic rescue bill that President Bush presented to Congress was totally unacceptable to me."

Great, but WHY DID YOU VOTE FOR IT BOTH TIMES, ASSHOLE?

[Mitt Romneys sideburns]

So I got an expensive-looking pamphlet in the mail, this is what it says inside:

"I've secured more than $2 million dollars in grants from the Waterbury area, with $294,000 going to demolish abandoned buildings so we can attract new businesses and more jobs."

Wow, I bet he fought hard for the federal government to give him those grants. Fought hard to destroy the 10th Amendment that is!

But that's not the half of it. So the election is coming up soon, right? Yup, yup. Well this isn't a campaign pamphlet... it wasn't made by his campaign. He sent it out from his office, and ya, you guessed it. This is what it says on the back, "This mailing was prepared, published, and mailed at taxpayer expense."

And of course he sent it out now! Perfect timing. He has competetion now and instead of doing it through a campaign, he gets name recognition up by sending this out (he pays nothing)... and it even has all these quotes of his everywhere making him look just soooooooooo great. WHAT AN IDIOT!


Um... Am I missing something? Its called Franking Privilege. Its standard for official business and constituent bulk mail. Its used by all congressmen, yes, even Ron Paul. Legally, it must have the phrase “Prepared, Published, and Mailed at Taxpayer Expense.”. And seeing that you got this back in July, it was well outside the limit of 90 days prior to an election in which they are not allowed to send out bulk mail to constituents.

[jsu718]

Everyone in this forum could make this thread about their congressman!

My current representative is Jeb Hensarling. My former representative before redistricting is Sam Johnson... I can't really complain. They do follow the party line some of the time, but both voted against the bailout both times. I have talked to both of them, and they are very genuine and concerned about truly representing their people.