FAKE DEMOCRACY

GILGOFF (2006) U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT/ 5/15/35-38

According to this conservative periodical, we really don't need congressional elections anymore. Perhaps we can vote in a new senator or president, but the people's house is fixed. At the moment, the Democrats appear to be the choice of the polls when it comes to voting for new congressman or congress people. However, after the election, most INCUMBENTS will win. Why? It is called gerrymandering after Eldridge Gerry of historical importance as he introduced the system to reduce democracy. It goes like this, you first need to elect to your state legislature the Democratic or Republican majority. Whomever is elected, they get out their maps and redistrict so that the majority of the vote will go for the dominant party.

Years ago, there was still turnover in the house. After each most recent elections, the INCUMBENT PARTY (with two wings: Republicans and Democrats) wins. The reduction of competition has come because the state legislatures used to use gasoline station maps and with crayons drew the lines with crayons to get the most districts for the INCUMBENT PARTY. However, as time comes to the present, computers began to track voters from precinct to precinct, the drawing of new districts became more precise so that a line down one block as opposed to another would maximize the INCUMBENT parties clout. Thus,today there is very little competition in the house of representatives. The incumbent has a congressional district just suited for him or her. So the redistricting looks odd, but it makes sense to the incumbent. She or he wins. Special interest know this too so they spend their money on the incumbent further increasing the chances that they will win.

Is there any way out of this. Yes! Iowa has an independent company redistrict when there are population shifts. It is non-partisan and it works. The other 49 states could do the same thing, but don't bet on it.

NPR/ 5/9/ 2006

If the president does not like a bill, he can sign it in public, but sign off the bill in private and it becomes dead. This secret veto kills lots of bills. Or the a bill can be passed and then enabling legislation is necessary. That is the funding necessary to implement the bill. The president can sign the bill and then see that it does not have funding. Last, legislation passed before the end of a term by the president can get killed by a pocket veto. Thus, the bill is dead. A bill can also die in committee even though it was passed in the house. Someone of special powers and seniority can kill it, by denying that it go through the committee.

______(2006) THE ECONOMIST/ 5/12/ 31

George W. Bush is in Carterland. That means that at 29% he is hitting the bottom where Jimmy Carter once was. This also applies to Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, and George Bush 1.

All have had a very LOW point in their presidencies. However, even if that is the case, Bush has the Supreme Court, the House, and the Senate on his side so he can still get things done even though the people do not favor him or his policies.