[merrylander]

The funny thing is that the Conservative party back in Canada did want me to run when our local MP died prematurely from cancer. He and I had a long correspondence so I guess that they found my letters in his files.

However, I was already down here so that idea got sqelched. As a sanforized citizen I am still elegible to run for office but Florence would divorce me so that is not going to happen.

Taken as a whole Congress really needs an outsider to re-write their rules because as written it is a most un-democratic institution, but there are some good people in there.

If we could, as a nation, outlaw bribery, make this business of some 7000 or more appointees by the incoming president a thing of the past and limit him/her to appointing only cabinet level people and judicial positions. This would be with the usual 'advise and consent' (but none of this BS of a single senator being able to put a 'hold' on any appointee) we would be on the way to a better government. Finally campaign funding would come from federal funds and be a lot more limited than at present, no more 'swift boaters' and other such pandering.

As it stands today, Congress is much like the gentleman in the bar who asked the young woman if she would sleep with him for a million dollars. When she acquiesed he than asked her if she would do it for one hundred dollars. She exlaimed "What sort of woman do you think I am?" to which he replied "We have already established that, we are only haggling over the price."