# Congress has no shame **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 27, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811 "2013-04-27T00:58:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/21 "2013-04-27T08:55:03Z")
I became politically aware under George W, so I have no actual lifetime experience of the government being anything but a hilariously shameless and openly self-centered collection of assholes - from Democrats to Republicans (but mostly Republicans, let’s be honest) and across multiple bodies of government (but mostly congress). I’m utterly amazed America has ever accomplished anything, if this is the system we’ve had all along. When I hear about places like Canada, or Australia, or Germany, or whatever - places that seem to have healthy political debate and politicians that at least try to care about the public interest, rather than focusing solely on fundraising and getting elected - it seems so quaint and old-fashioned. My favorite recently was the STOCK Act. Insider trading is so obviously wrong that it’s illegal for private citizens (Martha Stewart, anyone?), and yet it’s just fine for congress people, who have the best possible insider information. Conflict of interest much? So the STOCK Act - _somehow_ - gets bipartisan support. And everyone talks about how great it is congress is finally doing something about such an obviously messed up thing. And congress passes it, but not before quietly gutting the bill without any debate. Who watches the watchmen? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/22 "2013-04-27T09:18:12Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Here’s an idea Boehner: Just do your freaking job. You pass a budget, the Senate passes a budget, the President proposes a budget then you get together in a big room _and cut a deal_. Before Gingrich, Congress did that for 200+ years without drama. Problem is, every time he even came close to a compromise then the ideological pure Tea Party members put their feet down and say, “No way!” And so he has to back off because he can’t get the votes. Makes me wonder why he wants to keep the job. His own party won’t follow him so he’s not really a leader. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/23 "2013-04-27T15:58:07Z")
> [@ZebraShaSha](#): > > My favorite recently was the STOCK Act. Insider trading is so obviously wrong that it’s illegal for private citizens (Martha Stewart, anyone?), and yet it’s just fine for congress people, who have the best possible insider information. Conflict of interest much? > > So the STOCK Act - _somehow_ - gets bipartisan support. And everyone talks about how great it is congress is finally doing something about such an obviously messed up thing. And congress passes it, but not before quietly gutting the bill without any debate. > > Who watches the watchmen? The only people who seem willing to report on things like that are the liberal side of media, such as MSNBC, Mother Jones, Huffpost, etc. Hell, I saw the dish on STOCK on Jon Stewart, while nobody else even mentioned it. Maddow, et al, have been nailing Congress on their shenanigans for some time now. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/24 "2013-04-27T17:35:33Z")
> [@ZebraShaSha](#): > > So the STOCK Act - _somehow_ - gets bipartisan support. And everyone talks about how great it is congress is finally doing something about such an obviously messed up thing. And congress passes it, but not before quietly gutting the bill without any debate. Well, this is a perfect example of part of the problem. If people actually did research rather than listen to their favorite source of poutrage, they’d discover that what Congress did was repair glaring holes the law to before it created an Identity Thief Happy Hunting Ground. ---
**Author:** ![sidhechaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sidhechaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidhechaos)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/25 "2013-04-28T02:30:41Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Head Start is a program which has a very large positive “return on investment” to government collectively, at least in the long term. Head Starters become productive taxpayers instead of drains on law enforcement and welfare. (My disgust with Dick Cheney grew when I realized killing Head Start was one of his high priorities as a Congressman.) no no no. Having uneducated young people means they have two choices. crime, which jails are now being privitized plus police seizure of all assets makes profit for these douchebags, or join the military and become cannon fodder in the next war over “you insulted mah Dahdee!” (talking about hussein, had no issue with going after taliban) not to mention a lot of these kids are being raised purely on welfare (not their fault but damn it, if someone is on welfare and able to breed birth control should be mandatory! There are to many multi generational knocked up baby mill mammas out there, actual elderly or disabled people can’t get medicaid in some places despite having paid into it, it’s being soaked by 17 year olds who have never worked and never will because they have 4 kids and one on the way.) This won’t change because god forbid the peasants aren’t breeding. ---
**Author:** ![sidhechaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sidhechaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidhechaos)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/26 "2013-04-28T02:32:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > The only people who seem willing to report on things like that are the liberal side of media, such as MSNBC, Mother Jones, Huffpost, etc. Hell, I saw the dish on STOCK on Jon Stewart, while nobody else even mentioned it. Maddow, et al, have been nailing Congress on their shenanigans for some time now. bill maher for president. I’m just saying ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/27 "2013-04-28T02:48:57Z")
> [@sidhechaos](#): > > bill maher for president. > > I’m just saying Bill Maher is, in large part, a colossal tool. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/28 "2013-04-28T02:52:55Z")
And so sarcastic! Really, isn’t that just tearing down without building up? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/29 "2013-04-28T04:36:05Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > And so sarcastic! Really, isn’t that just tearing down without building up? Acting! ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/30 "2013-04-28T14:32:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Acting! Genius! ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811/31 "2013-04-28T21:47:44Z")
I wish Obama knew that he was the president of the United States. He could have vetoed the legislation and call out the Congress for being a bunch of spoiled brats and demanding they fix the sequestration problem. This was a case of needing to come off as absolute fucking bastard, and willing to make a lot of enemies. But he would have had the moral high ground, the public would have rallied behind him, and Congress would have had no choice but to comply. Instead, he comes off as a premature lame-duck. Pathetic. Utterly pathetic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congress-has-no-shame/656811.md?page=1)