Will US Congress incumbents fare well in the 2010 and 2012 Elections?

by Peter Stern

Naturally Congressional incumbents will fare well in the 2010 and 2012 elections because of several reasons. Firstly, there are few viable, ethical and intelligent legislators out there who are not catering to their wealthy special interest campaign [and perks] contributors. Corporate American has purchased the best government money can buy. Since there are so few candidates to choose from the incumbents will most likely get the votes.

CongressSecondly, there are no term limits for our ; therefore, there is no law that demands that our Congressional leaders step down from the offices they hold to clear the way for new blood, those non-professional politicians who have not yet been bought by the wealthy corporate sector and who have not been blinded into voting for special interest bills and perks instead of working to better the community at-large.

Recently, Congress voted down their automatic pay raises by placing a freeze on the salaries. Yes, a very nice gesture, but Congressional leaders more than make up for the frozen salaries by accepting huge campaign contributions and special interest perks. It would be better and a lot more ethical if instead Congress permitted the annual pay raises and turned-down the huge special interest campaign contributions and additional perks, e.g., vacations, etc., that are provided by the wealthy lobbyists always bending the ears of our officials.

Corporate Military ComplexIt doesn’t actually matter much who is in Congress as the 2-party political system has failed U.S. citizens. Congress does not look out for the best interests of the community at-large, but instead does anything and everything for the wealthy contributors. The U.S. currently is ruled by a 1-Party System. It is the which evolved from the Industrial-Military Complex that former President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned the nation about in his 1961 Farewell Address. Unfortunately, no one listened and we are currently in the very situation that President Eisenhower prophesized about. It is the very reason why Congressional incumbents will win in the 2010 and 2012 elections and why it really doesn’t matter much anymore who what candidates we vote in.

There is little hope that any of this will change in the immediate future, as the corporate sector continues to get stronger, more politically powerful and significantly wealthier. Eisenhower’s word acts as a backdrop for our political failures and the lack of ethics in Washington, D.C. The situation will not change for the better until we stop wealthy political contributions and perks, and until we place term limits and recruit new blood for our leadership positions.