Money in Politics
Americans Deserve Better

by Rense Johnson, Chairman, Citizens for Term Limits

Nothing in our current political system creates more alienation, more corruption, more mischief, and more distrust on the part of the public than that created by the volume of money flowing through Washington. Without the power brought by controlling that money, the incentive to buy, or become, a corrupt politician would disappear. In short, solving Washington's campaign finance problem requires treating the cause of that problem — extra-Constitutional governmental intrusion into the lives of the citizens of the United States. — Unattributed

I wish I could credit the author of the foregoing, because he or she sets forth cogently what is perhaps the central fact of American temporal life today. That cause mentioned above, extra-constitutional governmental intrusion has existed for so many years that the people in government, of whatever branch, have come to accept it as "the way things are," having lost along the way their capacity to recognize it for what it is — outrageous, intrusive, invasive, immoral, unresponsive, antisocial, corrosive to our culture, detrimental to citizens and their children, subversive to education, ravaging of lives, dangerous, enormously expensive, and ultimately destructive of our country.

Officials accept things as they were when they "got here," which becomes a ceiling for subsequent behavior rather than a basis for improvement. As a result of such thinking the criteria for acceptable behavior in government deteriorate each year. Thus the volume of money flowing through Washington, though increasing, has been a fact of life for decades. Congress, which is responsible over the years for much of this flow of money, shows no inclination to do anything about it. Why? "Because it's always been this way."

Are these the people we must depend on to put an end to these habits of government? It is the leaders of these folks — and their predecessors — who have been bringing the problem on over the decades.

The only way to deal with the problem mentioned above — extra-Constitutional governmental intrusion into the lives of the citizens of the United States — is to find officeholders who are willing to obey, not interpret, the Constitution. The place to start is with Congress. What we need is a constitutional amendment limiting congressional terms. Retire members of Congress who allow selfish interests to supercede the best interests of the country. Bring in fresh faces with fresh ideas and a fresh outlook of service to our country. Bring in people who will live up to their oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Bring in a fresh Congress, enabling it to assume its awesome constitutional responsibility and authority, and assert it to those in the other branches who now ignore that sacred document.

Bring in a fresh Congress which will wrest control of the country from labor unions, multinational corporations, special interests, and their free-spending lobbyists who pollute the entire governmental process with their billions of dollars, and restore it to its rightful owners, its citizens, and to its legatees, our children, those born and those yet to be born.

back to articles index

After referring us to your friends, then visit our other website by clicking below to go to www.citizencongress.org to send your lawmakers your message.