QOTD: Bicameral Whorehouse
By Barry Ritholtz - February 22nd, 2012, 10:00AM
This is poetry.
“Congress, 535 commoditized temple monkeys pawing through the ruins of America in search of bribes. The bicameral whorehouse on Capitol Hill works like a vending machine. You put coins in the slot, select your law, and the desired legislation slides out.”
-Fred Reed, May 30, 2009
I added it to the QOTD in the sidebar, but I wanted to pull it out for emphasis . . .
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February 22nd, 2012 at 10:16 am
deservedly so – it’s a good one!
February 22nd, 2012 at 10:18 am
the founders labeled even putting state and district interests first as “corruption”
If they saw this
they would puke.
February 22nd, 2012 at 10:27 am
A delicious and not inaccurate quote. Lest it feed the fires of the government haters, I want to point out that these elected wonders are just “us” operating the only way they can in order to survive in a system that we have allowed to develop. It is this system (campaign finance and revolving door lobbying) that needs overhaul, not the individuals in it.
February 22nd, 2012 at 10:49 am
Word of the day: Bicameral
Seldom is a quote so accurate and descriptive. Thanks.
February 22nd, 2012 at 11:24 am
This will get worse, long before it gets better. Sheldon, the big money behind Newt, is talking about “donating” $100 million. Suppose that would buy him some access?????? But as long as corporations are people, and money is free speech, and there are no limits on contributions (aka bribes) you can count on this whole stinking mess will continue to go down the drain with the 1% controlling everything.
Billionaire Sheldon Adelson Says He Might Give $100M To Newt Gingrich Or Other Republican
http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2012/02/21/billionaire-sheldon-adelson-says-he-might-give-100m-to-newt-gingrich-or-other-republican/
Since it seems the Supreme court (especially the “conservative” group) has lost its’ common sense, it will take a constitutional amendment to correct this mess. That would take years, pretty much as the founds thought, the constitution shouldn’t be easily changed, but they didn’t consider that the Supremes would
sell the country down the tubes to the 1% ers.
February 22nd, 2012 at 11:28 am
Now you know how many holes it takes to fill bicameral halls.
Ever see this graffiti over urinals ” What are you looking up here for , the joke is in your hand”
That the feeling you should get when you go to vote.
February 22nd, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Legislation is about to be signed in Florida that would eliminate the business registration tax for realtors. Because, you know, otherwise all those real estate jobs might go overseas.
February 22nd, 2012 at 1:29 pm
I would suggest that the Supreme Court has not lost their common sense but rather has relinquished any sense of shame or morality.
Money is free speech and perhaps the justices are now awash and transfixed by mountains of free speech.
February 22nd, 2012 at 2:19 pm
How a bill become law – an infographic
http://www.thesefriesaregood.com/articles/the-real-story-of-how-a-bill-becomes-a-law/
February 22nd, 2012 at 3:09 pm
I’m thinking of selling my “vote” for the upcoming election on EBay. I would think guys like Sheldon might pay good money for it. What a unique blend of capitalism and democracy this would make once it catches on.
What do you think?
February 22nd, 2012 at 3:20 pm
but those evil/stupid libertarians are the morons who want to take away their car keys.
I’m so confused…
February 22nd, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Implied Caveat: Must contribute huge sums of money relative to all others so as to obtain their attention and cooperation.
February 22nd, 2012 at 4:26 pm
fredoneverything.net is always good for a hoot. Commoditized temple monkeys…reminds me of the one referring to Ann Coulter as a toxic harpy. A good insult is well crafted and requires effort and creativity. When I was in local politics and someone would say to me, “you’re a _______” (dumbass, idiot, moron, stupid, etc. etc.) I’d just kinda look at them and think, “Is that the best you can come up with?”
February 22nd, 2012 at 8:23 pm
Marines are always good for quotes when allowed to speak their minds.
February 22nd, 2012 at 8:46 pm
100 million from Sheldon…that is enough money to ensure we have war w/ Iran. That is he “personal cause”.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:38 am
By my count the comment is 11 people short. To say the President and the Vice President aren’t part of group is ridiculous considering the bribes are money to become elected. Given the Supreme Court is appointed by this same group they surely must be counted.
February 23rd, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Fred Reed is fantastic. He says what you’d like to say if not for fear of the PC Thought Police.