There is no formal Blue Dog coalition in the Senate but there is a group of senators who, based on their records, have regularly been identified as being of the same conservative mindset: Mark Pryor (Ark.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Joe Liebermann (I-Ct.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Jim Webb (Va.), Mark Warner (Va.), and Max Baucus (Mt.).
So it is up to the people to put all these conservative-style Democrats under the microscope to determine if they, by their actions, have put the interests of the corporate world ahead of those of the American people. Those Americans who live on Main Street America, in the various states, can judge which Democrats should be classed as corporatists. And that's when the power of the people, their voting power, must take over. Those who are judged to stand with the people should be protected and those who don't must be driven out of office.
There is one tricky aspect to dealing with wayward Democrats. If they are challenged in the primary elections by candidates who appear to be qualified, then these incumbents should be voted out of office. However, if there is no primary challenge by another Democrat, then we must hold our noses and vote for the incumbent so that a Republican doesn't win; that's what's called voting for the lesser of two evils, which may be repulsive and loathsome, but sometime it's necessary. To stay home and refuse to vote will only further weaken and damage our fragile democracy.
This transformation of Congress can work if the people of America and the Occupy Wall Street movement work relentlessly to rid the U.S. political system of the power of Corporate America.
Politicians must clearly understand that the people of America fully intend to wrest control of our democracy from Wall Street and Corporate America. They also need to understand that if they oppose that goal and defy the will of the people, they will be run out of office. In this way, over time, we can cleanse this Congress of the stench that has infiltrated its chambers.
America is currently in the midst of a monumental struggle to determine who will control the agenda and the direction of this nation. Going into the future there is no way that over 300 million people can allow 1% of Americans that hold the mass of wealth of the nation and their facilitators in Congress to control and dominate them.
Michael Payne
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