Captain's Quarters -

I believe it was Rush that said, "What are the two things most important to a Member of Congress? 1. To get re-elected 2. To get re-elected. "

And Pelosi and Reid are true to the same old scenario that has plagued the Congress for years...whether they are Repub or Dem - they get that taste of power, they get those seats at the head of the table at a committee, they get the invites to go swap barbs with Tim Russert and Bob Schiefer and they simply cling to the power, the fame, the notoriety like Gollum clung to His Preshusssss!

These "new" Dems are the same as the old Dems. Pelosi is a Ted Kennedy in a skirt. Reid is a Rahm Emmanuel in a ....well...skirt.

We have a guy like Byrd up there, who literally cannot even remember his home address and on the other hand, we have freshman congresswomen who giggle and flit around Nancy Pelosi like she's Paris Hilton.

And in my view, this kind of back-tracking on promises will never end until the American people stand up to the teflon of "incumbency" and say, "Okay dude, you had your six years...you didn't do what you said you would do, your votes didn't represent me well, so you are out!"

The problem is that the GOP can't claim with even the slightest shred of credibility that they'd do any better. So, it comes down to the lesser of two evils:

dems - "We're crooks, but we'll cut 'n' run in Iraq, soak the rich, and give you all sorts of social spending goodies!"

GOP - "We're crooks, but we'll pay virtually no attention to Iraq (or anything else), give tax breaks that greatly favor the rich*, and... give you all sorts of social spending goodies!"

Just name your poison...

-------------

(*) Yeah, I know: the GOP tax cuts are across the board, but it's hard to explain to the man who barely pays any taxes why he gets back only $300 while some rich guy gets back thousands because he's paying a whopping huge tax bill.

Sadly almost all politicians are cut from the same cloth. They think they have been anointed as gods and we lessor mortals must bow and worship them and overlook their outright lying and other types of dishonesty. They view the electorate as their slaves and get very upset when we don't feel that way. It makes little difference which party they claim as theirs. What we really need is a viable third party so we could kick all of them out of office, but simply exchanging one set of master for another accomplishes little. And yes, I am very bitter about the whole mess, but in the end, we have only ourselves to blame. As long as we are unwilling to kick them out, they will continue to act the way they do. As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

Sadly almost all politicians are cut from the same cloth. They think they have been anointed as gods and we lessor mortals must bow and worship them and overlook their outright lying and other types of dishonesty. They view the electorate as their slaves and get very upset when we don't feel that way. It makes little difference which party they claim as theirs. What we really need is a viable third party so we could kick all of them out of office, but simply exchanging one set of master for another accomplishes little. And yes, I am very bitter about the whole mess, but in the end, we have only ourselves to blame. As long as we are unwilling to kick them out, they will continue to act the way they do. As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

Query: *Robert* Kennedy? I know of Edward Moore Kennedy of waitress sammich fame, I know of Joseph Kennedy, the Boston politician whose mind has been compared to a hod of bricks, and I know of Patrick, the internationally famous driver, but to my knowledge, the only extant Robert Kennedy of that ilk runs Riverkeeper, and is a radio personality, to the extent he has one. Illuminate me as to this new Kennedy.

That's the shocker of the day. What's next??? Assigning Murtha to write a code of ethics manual???

How can you reform something that started back in 1789?

This is POLITICS folks! It doesn't change much. Even though heads roll out, and new one's roll in.

What's missing from today's mix? The politicians that thoroughly enjoyed American politics. That went in there, and DINED on the contests, so to speak.

In Robert Vaughn's one-man-show, FDR, he plays FDR like a larger than life character. With the mannerisms. And, from the wheel chair. And, while he's alone on the stage, he speaks FDR's words, to others. And, you're right at home!

I can only tell ya, that FDR knew what politics was all about. The show is so precious! In it, you meet FDR, after he's had polio. And, cannot walk. Yet, he was participating in New York's politics; because AL SMITH, who was governor of New York, had FDR helping him. How? HE made campaign stops.

But the scene, itself, like a good portrait, captures the man. It's done on a "phone call." Where Al and "Babs," which was FDR's nickname for Eleanor, were calling him up at Hyde Park, trying to get him to run. Beyond "just thinking about it."

Missy, the secretary, (not seen on stage. Again, this is a one-man-show. Available on DVD).

But he shows some boss-like attitudes to Missy, telling her he wont take the phone calls. While on stage, he works his braces. And, with canes. Attempts to stand up straight! The year? 1923? Or maybe, even before. And, he accomplishes this task.

When you see him on the phone with Al Smith, he does this "Irish type of Al Smith" talk. Yeah. It brings laughter. FDR was right at home.

Now, as this "Al Smith thing" plays out; you learn that Al Smith, the governor of New York State, wants to nominate FDR to run as governor. So, he can run as the democratic nominee for president.

Oh, says FDR. (What a pickle.) What if I win, and he loses? Al Smith would then go on to LOATHE him.

Well, something like that does happen. But the next time Al Smith returns to the scenery, 8 years have passed. FDR has been a successful governor of New York State; while Eleanor was his "legs" to the public. And, Al Smith calls again. But this time? Where Al Smith wanted FDR to help get him nominated, again, on his presidential bid. The year is 1932. And, FDR tells the audience "he has other ideas."

When a man is a master of his universe, politics plays out better.

For example. When FDR was running for his 3rd term; and there were six democratic senators OPPOSED; it turns out that FDR nails the nomination, anyway. And, his opponent, selected by the GOP, was Wendell Wilkie. Year? 1940.

What FDR did was nail Wilkie to the isolationists in Congress from the GOP. In particular: Martin, Barton and FISH. You should really see this performance to begin to relish how men who love politics LOVE THE INTERACTIONS.

And, in the scene? Well, FDR says he's gonna "pin the tail of the donkey, onto the behind of the elephant.

Politics is NOT going to become a goody-two-shoes dance!

What we have now? I think it's simiiar to Prohibition. There's stuff strutted out on stage, by INCOMPETENTS. And, no one is enjoying the show.

Worse, the only cat calls you get are from the audience. And, that? It did in vaudeville. Even after vaudeville cleaned up its act. (To allow women to come into the theaters.) Men no longer stood without chairs where they'd sit. And, men were forbidden to spit on the floor. Or to throw rancid vegetables, they bought from vendors, outside.)

It's possible that part of the problem we're having now? Is that the INCOMPETENTS who land at the top are just clueless. Like putting puppets into the heavyweight championship ring. So that there's no talent to view.

As to what's going on in Congress? This is very old hat.

But niether side, as yet, has an FDR, that can lance the ego's on these characters. Something FDR did best!

Take, Robert Morganthau, for instance. FDR had a field day with him. And, a "basket in his office, full of his resignation letters."

Reminded me of Lincoln's combative Salmon Chase.

The best politicians OWN the stage!

Just like the best comedians, even in Vegas, knew how to quiet someone who tried to get in on their acts. That's what you can do when you own the mike. But when you do it, you have to be charming.

Harder than walking and chewing gum, at the same time.