Since "Corporations are People Too" came to the forefront and became Law, Congress has slowly become less and less effective. Congress was once where representation for the people by the people was performed, but now is Mostly, For the Corporations, by the Corporations.
Many of us Know this but now there is more PROOF from the 'horses' mouths:
11 Members Of Congress Who Are Sick Of Fundraising
And this is just from some Democratic politicians. (One can only imagine how the Republicans feel about this.)
Sen. Harkin: "The time is so consumed with raising money now, these campaigns, that you don’t have the time for the kind of personal relationships that so many of us built up over time. So in that way, fun, I don’t know, there needs to be more time for senators to establish personal relationships than what we are able to do at this point in time."
Harkin isn't the only member of Congress exhausted by a post-Citizens United workday that prioritizes call time with donors over sitting in congressional hearings.
Congress does not have TIME to do their job:
( I almost feel sorry for them. Have you ever done fund raising or begging or ass-kissing?? It Sucks!!)
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The daily schedule prescribed by the Democratic leadership contemplates a nine or 10-hour day while in Washington. Of that, four hours are to be spent in "call time" and another hour is blocked off for "strategic outreach," which includes fundraisers and press work. An hour is walled off to "recharge," and three to four hours are designated for the actual work of being a member of Congress — hearings, votes, and meetings with constituents.
Now Picture all the Senators and Congress Representatives in this Call-Center room as described by Rep.Defazio below...They don't even have private Cubicles!! Someone seriously needs to get a photo or video of this scenario and Post it on Youtube!!
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Rep. Peter Defazio (D-Ore.)
"If you walked in there, you would say, 'Boy, this is the about the worst looking, most abusive looking call center situation I've seen in my life,'" he told NPR of the private, nongovernmental rooms where members of Congress make their calls. "These people don't have any workspace, the other person is virtually touching them."
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Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)
Frank did not seek reelection in 2012, and he told Jimmy Kimmel that fundraising was one thing he wouldn't miss.
"When people give you money and you do exactly what they don’t want, that’s not a nice thing," he said. "We’re the only people, elected officials, who are supposed to take money from strangers and have it have no influence on our behavior. Practicing being ungrateful takes a bit out of you.”
The former congressman reiterated his views on fundraising in an interview with the Huffington Post. "It bites into your private life. It bites into your leisure time," he said. "You shouldn't only do what you have to do, you should be able to read. ... It cuts into time members spend with each other."
If they cannot stop it (CU), how the hell do we stop it?
I have signed several petitions to Amend Citizens United, but until the actual Politicians stand up against it in the movement to get Corporate Control out of the government, Congress will become worse and worse and no more important than an out-sourced Call-Center for more trinkets..and really bad Customer Assistance.
Maybe Congress should just Out-Source their fund-raising Call Center. It would create Jobs, Jobs, Jobs..but probably Jobs that 'most Americans wouldn't want'...