Heads Up! Something revolutionary has happened in Congress.

[barbaraann]

During a segment on the NBC Nightly News this evening the reporter covering the gun bill debate mentioned that some Senators saw INSTRUCTIONS from the NRA to abandon the effort to pass the gun bill ON THEIR PDA's. Of course, there are no lobbyists allowed on the floor, but THEY MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN THERE because they were telling the GOP Senators exactly what to do.

So, now, the wealthy and powerful puppeteers of the Republicans in Congress can direct them through their Palm Pilots or Blackberries or whatever, and as far as I know no one has even questioned this! They don't have to pass notes or have aides whisper, they can just type out instructions in real time and watch their cult members obey.

This is truly revolutionary. The NRA told most GOP Senators exactly what to do and apparently those Senators did not even stop to think about THEIR CONSTITUENTS or THEIR OATH OF OFFICE; they instantly changed their positions totally and voted to quash the bill. The only thing that mattered was orders from the powerful special GOP interests.

Our government is broken. And now for Republicans it's just a broken puppet show. The Democrats in Congress need to draw attention to this and STOP IT.

[madfloridian]

1. I was just surfing by CNN today on my way to another channel;

I saw Woodruff say in her special little way....oh, my, I suppose the NRA really has power with the Senate now doesn't it?

[scottxyz]

2. One lobbyist, one PDA...

...instead of "one man, one vote".

[aquart]

3. Blackberries. The Senate uses Blackberries.

I heard.

[aquart]

8. Okay. I emailed my senators. Because this IS something:

My email:

Will you be making an issue of the Blackberry Puppets? The senators who took voting instructions from the NRA on their PDAs?

This brings lobbyists onto the floor of the Senate. And constituents are left out in the cold.

[barbaraann]

11. Blackberry Puppets! That's perfect.

n/t

[JohnOneillsMemory]

16. goes with Mayberry Machiavellis. Corporations been berry berry good to me.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. Want to make this a scandal?

Hack into the system and issue contradictory instructions.

Next morning, the newspapers will be screaming scandal.

End of puppet voting.

--bkl

[barbaraann]

5. LOL

Gee, maybe they need a paper trail. :-)

[damnyankee2601]

28. Not so far fetched.

It seems to me that we should get a hacker team together for this and other projects. I think a nice mass E-mail from that "fag hater" in Kansas, routed through the RNC website would look good on Shrub's resume. O'Reiley needs to get a mass mailing of gay porn ordered fom his own computer and deliverd to the Fox Studios. And Tom DeLay needs to "accidentally" send his dirty tricks RNC playbook to his press corps mailing list.

[Bertha Venation]

6. just sent this letter to my senators, Mikulski & Sarbanes

"CONGRESSIONAL REFORM

"During today's vote on S.1805, many senators rec'd email via their Blackberries. Through the email the senators learned that a powerful lobbying group wished for them to vote no on S.1805 because of the amendments that had been attached to it.

"I thought lobbyists weren't allowed on the floor of the Senate.

"Senator Mikulski, I respectfully request that you do something to stop the use of these devices (by all senators & staff, regardless of party affiliation) in the Senate during votes. In my opinion it is tantamount to allowing lobbyists to handcuff themselves to their senators and whisper in their ears.

"Thank you,"
etc.

Thanks, barbaraann. I heard about this on the radio tonight, and it just didn't sound right -- but I couldn't put my finger on it.

[barbaraann]

9. That's good. Thank you.

They just keep doing so many outrageous things it's almost impossible to fight them all. :-(

[Kanary]

26. Not "almost"... it *IS* impossible

It's taken them years, but finally they have us where they want us... there are too many fronts to be fought all at the same time.

That was their objective.

Clever bastids, eh?

Kanary

[barbaraann]

33. It might be more their nature than their plan.

At least we're aware of it now. For most of my life I didn't realize how monumental the evil was.

[alfredo]

35. Last year weren't they handing out checks on the floor of the house?

It was either the NRA or a drug company lobbyist.

[MrBenchley]

7. Good catch....

Shows who the Republicans REALLY represent. doesn't it....

[Lindsay]

10. It just gripes my soul

that they don't even bother to hide this stuff any more. It's like, "We're the majority, so what are you going to do about it?"

[htuttle]

15. Thing is...

...they AREN'T the majority.

They just got more money.

[ParanoidPat]

12. Someone want to e-mail this to Drudge?

Let's see if he thinks it warrants a flashing light and siren! :evilgrin:

[barbaraann]

13. Seriously?

n/t

[scottxyz]

14. Hey, let's not fight this - let's join this!

If Senators can be remote-controlled by a web-enabled digital device, then I'm all for it!

Just wire in the senescent Senators with the running totals of consensus from the blogs and bulletin boards of the Internet.

Give them a pie chart on their hand-held reflecting how everyone on the Internet at that moment feels.

[knight_of_the_star]

17. I'm e-mailing Boxer about this

She'll probably do something about this!

ON EDIT: My e-mail to her:

I just heard via NBC Nightly News that during the recent Senatorial debate certain Senators received instructions on the Senate floor to change their votes on the bill from the NRA by way of their Palmpilots. This is simply ourtrageous! Last time I checked, we are a government of the PEOPLE, not of the gun lobby! Please do whatever you can to bring this to national attention, Senators receiving orders from lobbyists while they are voting is no different than the lobbyists themselves casting the votes and that is just plain WRONG. Please do something to call this to the attention of the Senate and the media and please do SOMETHING to stop this kind of thing from going on. A United States Senator represents the people of their state, not the lobbyists who try to bribe them and they should NOT be taking orders from such persons!

That should cover it.

[dbt]

18. The Democrat$ in Congress are just as bought and just as paid for

as are the Rethugs.

1. Outlaw all paid lobbying in any form whatsoever.
2. Make all members of Congress wear uniforms and live in barracks.

:evilgrin:
dbt

[barbaraann]

21. Well, I have to disagree that the whoredom is equal.

I honestly believe that most Dems in Congress have working brains and some conscience, while most GOP Congressional reps really act like cult members.

[karabekian]

27. you so sure

teachers unions, trial lawyers, teamsters, the gun control lobby, businesses, etc.

Our congressmembers may not be as bad but they are beholden and whore themselves out too.,:puke:

[barbaraann]

32. Nice recitation of GOP talking points.

Yes, we need campaign finance reform for everyone. No, the Dems don't even come close to the GOP in whoring for the interests of the wealthy and large corporations. And how anyone could include the gun control lobby on a list of groups politicians are whoring for is beyond me. I guess the Sierra Club and Child Welfare League would be on a par with the NRA on a full list.

[MadHound]

19. Do you honestly think the Democrats will do a thing to stop it?

If you do, I've got some fine land for sale in the Everglades. Look, the Democrats are just as bad as the 'Pugs when it comes to being bought and paid for corporate whores. They will do nothing about this latest outrage because they use it also.

There are only two ways to challenge the stranglehold that big business and big money have on our government. First, work like hell for publicly financed election campaigns(bonus, raise the money for this from taxes on lobbyists) Second, don't vote for candidates or parties that accept corporate cash. Electing somebody who doesn't take corporate cash means that the only people that they will be beholden to is their constituents.

[Mr.Green93]

20. Stop the lobbyist power: repeal the 17th amendment

[jhfenton]

22. Ooo, someone who has studied history!

I couldn't agree more. The 17th Amendment fundamentally changed the balance of power in this country. With the 17th Amendment, we abandoned all pretense that the nation is a union of "sovereign states," and become one nation with 50 political subdivisions known as "states."

Let's repeal the 16th Amendment while we're at it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. Crap.

[stopthegop]

24. any reason to think Dems don't have the same setup? n/t

[barbaraann]

29. Well, yes.

Dems are just not that organized and disciplined.

[karabekian]

25. they are beholden

its no different, we just disagree with the interests that back them and support those who back us. There are a lot of changes that need to be made and I think it is unfair to say it is only republicans. I mean all the bad things that have happened in the last couple years only passed because democrats were on board. Never forget that.

[barbaraann]

30. Well, if you don't think there is any difference between

George W. Bush and Russ Feingold, for example, there's no point in arguing. I personally think that while politicians of both parties are way to beholden to various special interests, there is a world of difference between us and them. The Republican Party has been taken over by fascists and the Democratic Party hasn't.

Many Democrats in Congress have fought the Bush agenda but very few Republicans have.

[strategery blunder]

31. Are senators going to watch wire transfers to campaigns

occur in real time on the Senate floor when they vote according to their master/lobbyists' will?

[barbaraann]

34. Oh, there's a thought.

Maybe they'll hold up votes until they see the money in their bank account.