The Duplicity of Politicians

The audacity of politicians never ceases to amaze me. People who at the least one would presume go into public service to service the public, instead service themselves, family and friends. I'm beginning to think that all or at least most politicians follow Lenin's playbook, which says in part, “The most important thing is to come to power. Tell them whatever they want to hear but come to power. Once you are in power, then you can betray them.” On top of that, elections get more and more expensive until no one can run unless they have big money bankrolling them. And of course, that always comes with a price tag. The temptation to 'feather their own nest must be more than they can resist.

Didn't it come out during the Bundy ranch standoff that Nevada Senator Harry Reid stood to gain from snatching that grazing land away from Bundy? Or at least his son did. How many pieces of legislation initiated or at least supported by Diane Feinstein have benefited her husbands bottom line and hers? Can we really separate the two? It came to light last year that our meddling in the Ukraine would ultimately benefit Vice President Joe Biden's son. I'm sure that was a mere coincidence.

Now it seems that Ted Cruz's wife was a former CFR member. (Council on Foreign Relations). While that's not quite in the same category as profiting from a parent's or spouses legislation, still did Cruz not say during a campaign event in Texas that the CFR was “a pernicious nest of snakes”? That is “working to undermine our sovereignty.”? And was his wife not an active member at the same time under a five year term membership? I wonder how she felt about his description of CFR?

To give both a little slack, Heidi Cruz did write under “additional and dissenting views” that economic development must remain in control of the private sector, not government. As for Ted Cruz, it should be pointed out that in his most famous case, Medellin vs. Texas in 08 he opposed George W. Bush allowing the U.N. International Court of Justice decision that the Mexican illegals on death row in Texas had been deprived of rights because they hadn't been allowed to seek assistance from the Mexican consulate once arrested. For once, the Supreme Court ruled for American sovereignty over International law.

That being said, however, don't these politicians realize how much scrutiny they will be under while running for and participating in a political career? It amazes me the amount of fraud, bribery and colluding with organized crime takes place. The backroom deals that are entered into. But, even with a neutered American press, there are still people who know what it means to be an investigative journalist. So, before running for the highest office in the land, never mind the lesser positions, wouldn't you do a serious self discovery of your past to make sure you are relatively clean...for a politician?

A hundred years ago you could associate yourself with crooks or enemies of America and most American people would never know about it. One fine example is Senator Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island and the part he played in helping form the Federal Reserve System and getting it through Congress while few were paying attention. I've always wondered just how lucrative that was for him. Do you think he had the people he was in Washington to represent in mind while he colluded with these financial vipers? Apparently he hadn't read Thomas Jefferson's warning about allowing central banks to get a toe hold in this country or he didn't agree with him.

How do these people sleep at night or look themselves in the mirror? Do they somehow convince themselves that what they do is for the greater good? In Cruz's case he went on the attack. He pointed out that his wife was “just one of the thousands of members.” and one of the few conservatives “trying to push for conservative outcomes.” according to an interview with independent journalist Derrick Broze in 2011. He also said that these attacks by the, at the time Lt. Governor David Dewhar,t was an attempt to divide conservative and tea party voters.

All of that may be true but still, you don't wake up one morning and decide, “I think I'd like to be the president of the United States!” That ambition had to be somewhere in his psyche for some time. It would pay to be very careful who you or your spouse keeps company with, especially if you are smart enough to know what the CFR really is and plan to go after it.

It just makes me shake my head in total wonderment at the behavior of politicians. I think Mark Twain had their pedigree read about right. As for Harry Reid and his, 'so called treadmill injuries', I'm not buying it. The big boys play rough when you can't pull a rabbit out of your hat for them anymore, don't they? I'd retire and go quietly somewhere to lick my wounds too. Much safer.

As much as I denigrate the Lame Stream Media, I have the utmost faith in real investigative journalists. Even us amateur journalists have a place in further spreading the truth. As more Americans wake up to the reality that they've been had by their elected representatives maybe we will get back to what the Founding Fathers intended but failed to legislate – political positions being limited and only part time jobs with a return to private life. Not the lifetime career our politicians expect today.

It begins at the local and state level. I go out of my way to support new blood and I find out everything I can about them before I throw my support to them. It isn't that difficult. I am not limited by voting for any one party or the party my family belongs to or pretty promises delivered by a pretty face. You can talk all day and I will listen. But in the end, I will look at your voting record to see if your actions match your rhetoric.

Most of us can smell a crooked politician but often we just throw up our hands and say, What can I do about it? Quite a lot actually and we have the numbers to make a difference once aroused if we can climb out of our apathy. 9% approval rating is all Congress can muster from the American people? You think the American people aren't waking up? If you have political aspirations, go after the position you want but keep your hands clean. If, like me, you'd rather sit on a fire anthill than hold political office, at least do your homework and support honest people in office if you can find one. Then keep a sharp eye on them.

Our present governor, on learning that I was a writer and during his first run for office, asked me if I was interested in becoming his speech writer. My reply was, “I appreciate the offer, but I see two problems with that. First I'm a Democrat (now Independent) and secondly I would never write anything I didn't believe to be truth. Would you still like me to write for you?” He politely declined.

He really hasn't done a bad job overall, though I don't agree with everything he does. But he's no different from any other career politician. When you intend to make politics your career, or in his case can't stay out of the arena, your first concern is getting and staying in power – not in serving the public's interest.

First I would put a cap on campaign spending and on contributions, kind of like we used to have before the Supreme fossils declared corporations to be people. I would also make it a requirement for a politician to read and understand the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers before holding their first office. Aren't you required to study and be approved by a licensing board or similar body for most jobs? Don't you have to prove your competence in most professions?

Speaking of cleaning up your past, could Hillary have any more baggage? She is becoming nothing more than a political liability and embarrassment for the Democrats. Nearly 50% of the voters in the all important states of Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio said in a poll that they do not believe Hillary Clinton is “honest and trustworthy.” Even politicians can't cover their trail by hitting 'Delete' on their keyboards without causing Americans to raise their eyebrows. Maybe the mistake was in allowing lawyers to run for political office instead of remaining in private/corporate work. But with the baggage of Benghazi and subsequently the erasure of over 30,000 emails while using a private server during her stint as Secretary of State, I think the Democrats had better be looking for a viable default candidate. And to borrow a phrase from the former Secretary of State, “What difference does it make?” Whoever gets the top nod for the Democratic and Republican tickets will have been anointed by TPTB or they wouldn't be allowed near the primary.

Just remember what happened to Ron Paul supporters in Florida in 2012. TPTB and their bought and paid for Lame Stream Media treated Dr. Paul like an annoying mosquito. But they also couldn't risk his getting the Republican nomination so he had to be marginalized. His supporters were virtually kidnapped by the busload until the primary was nearly over. Never-the-less, Dr. Paul garnered enormous grassroots support. That's what happens when citizens unite in their efforts. I believe that is one component as to how we lost our Republic. And it's going to take citizen involvement to restore it. As Thomas Jefferson said, “We do not have government by the majority...we have government by the majority who participate.