Are you happy with the way Congress or the Executive branch is performing their job? Most people don't. Yet we keep voting for the same people year after year. And in every election cycle, we hear the same tired slogans. These slogans are designed to make the candidate appear like they are mainstream without going to far from the shadow of their handlers.

If our representatives are not supporting the peoples interest, then who do they support? We all know the answers to that. The special interest groups and lobbyist that pour millions of dollars into the politicians election campaigns. The government has set up a lot of elaborate rules to make it appear that these contributions are not bribery. But if person wants to get elected to an office they need money. Without lots of money they don't get elected. That is why the newsspends their time reporting how much money a candidate is raising. That is why Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were trading barbs over the Geffen fundraiser. This money comes from rich activist, trade unions, corporations, party political action committees, and foreign governments. Although lots of average individuals will donate to a campaign, it is not as much as the special interest groups. It is no wonder thatthe majority of people are only paid lip service.

The only way we are going to truly get back to a representative government is to eliminate the current way that campaigns are financed. The best way to do this is through government funded financing. I know most people will say, "Let them pay for their own campaign. They're all a bunch of millionaires anyway." But that is my point. The average citizen has no chance in getting elected through the current process. Anyone interested in politics has to go through the politicalmachine of the Democrats or the Republicans. To do that they have to prove their loyalty by towing the party line. So it is the parties that control who gets elected and it is the special interest groups that fund the parties who decide what the platform is.

One thing very disturbing about this situation is how involved foreign governments are. They spend millions of dollars influencing officials to create legislation that is favorable to their country not ours. How long can this go on? Everyone knows the current system is broken. We can't rely on the Democrats and Republicans to police their own behavior. Some how, we need to have public financed campaigns and eliminate the power of the special interest groups.

- Thomas Paine 2

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