Best idea I've heard in a while....

[a kennedy]

Members of Congress should wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers, so we can identify their corporate sponsors.

[Saturday]

1. LOL, so true. nt

[sam sarrha]

2. -______ RECOMENDED !! _____ AFTER I PICKED MYSELF UP OFF THE FLOOR.!!

:headbang: :yourock: :applause: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :patriot: :kick:

[sazemisery]

3. Bravo, a kennedy, this is something I'd love to see. K&R

:kick:

[cali]

4. there would be nothing on my reps uniforms then

or at least very little. Bernie Sanders, Pat Leahy and Peter Welch.

[a kennedy]

5. Goes for Russ Feingold too.....

not a thing on his. :patriot:

[Shiver]

7. Damn right :D

Russ is the shit. I love voting for him. :patriot:

[Truth2Tell]

102. Feingold:

Top 5 Contributors, 2003-2008

University of Wisconsin $169,885
Council for a Livable World $53,795
Foley & Lardner $36,057
Marshfield Clinic $31,000
Habush, Habush et al $27,150

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00000036&cycle=2008

Foley & Lardner's primary practice areas include intellectual property, business law, litigation, regulatory, and tax law... Prominent clients: The Heritage Foundation, Coors Brewing Company, Harley Davidson, Major League Baseball and Hewlett-Packard.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foley_%26_Lardner

Marshfield Clinic is a medical system with 41 centers located in northern, central and western Wisconsin as of 2008... Marshfield Clinic's health maintenance organization (HMO), Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc, was established in 1986 as an outgrowth of Greater Marshfield Community Health Plan, which began in 1971 as one of the earliest HMOs in the country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshfield_Clinic

[bvar22]

15. Nothing on Dennis Kucinich's either!

”Unlike other candidates, I am not funded by those corporate interests.
I owe them no loyalty, and they have no influence over me or my policies.” ---Dennis Kucinich

[awoke_in_2003]

34. It is sad...

540 elected members of congress give the rest a bad name :)

[clear eye]

36. Good one.

:7

[rambler_american]

67. Ditto

for Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter.

[Truth2Tell]

101. Hodes:

Top 5 Contributors, 2007-2008

Willkie, Farr & Gallagher $14,050
American Bankers Assn $11,500
Dartmouth College $10,300
Air Line Pilots Assn $10,000
American Federation of Teachers $10,000

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00027048&cycle=2008

[Truth2Tell]

100. Leahy:

Top 5 Contributors, 2003-2008

Technet $81,491
Walt Disney Co $44,200
Time Warner $41,350
Law Office of Peter Angelos $38,700
Viacom Inc $36,750

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00009918

Just sayin'

[rurallib]

6. They should come in sizes based on the amount of money from

the industry. That way it would be easy to see that a given Rep was owned by oil or insurance. Maybe they could even form teams like NASCAR. "Team Insurance", "Team Oil", "Team Coal", "Team Chamber of Commerce".

[Frustratedlady]

8. I'll vote for that! I imagine some would have so many logos,

you wouldn't know the color of the jacket, but it's a great idea!

[myrna minx]

9. That is an excellent idea.

:toast:

[stuntcat]

10. wooot!!

right frickin on :headbang:

[SpiralHawk]

11. Farm state officials will get genetically modified logos

[Lugnut]

12. Perfect!

What an easy way to find out who is buying their votes.

[unblock]

13. this is one of the best du posts i've seen in a long time!!

billiant!

[Mabus]

14. If Captain Amazing can do it, so can they

[Jankyn]

16. K/R...and I wanna see art!

Please, somebody, Photoshop this one.

[dixiegrrrrl]

37. If someone will photoshop, I will provide the donor names of each Congress Critter.

At least till the meds kick in...
deal???????????

[truedelphi]

77. Where is Swamp rat at this moment?? n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

81. I sent him a pm earlier this evening and mentioned this thread needed his magic.

[Arugula Latte]

17. Lieberman can just wear an outfit made entirely out of Israeli flags.

[dixiegrrrrl]

40. actually, a reversible suit.

Blue on one side, red on the other.
Covered in the flags, if you like.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Or, more accurately, "their corporate owners".

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress." - Mark Twain

[barbtries]

86. i don't think i've ever heard that quote before

but it has a calming effect. so congress has always sucked and been full of corruption. i guess we'll live after all. even post-gw. it'll always be more fucked up than it should be and will keep on being better than most. the country, i mean.

[carnie_sf]

93. He also said

"Show me a us congressman and show me a flea, but I repeat myself"

[bertman]

19. LMAO. Great idea. My rep is going to be driving the Homeland Security car.

[lame54]

20. I would love to see a few crash and burn

[Ezlivin]

21. They're already good at going in circles for hours

N/T

[mdmc]

22. nice

[BoneDaddy]

23. LOL

funny, very funny to envision that

[ProgressiveFool]

24. Oh wow, that's breath-takingly good common sense.

I suppose it wouldn't be constitutional, but damn, it would be a huge help in figuring out the why of things in government.

[marauding liberal]

25. beautiful idea

[calimary]

99. Welcome to DU!

Glad you're here!

We have LOTS of DUers coming up with great, inventive, and novel ideas - this isn't just a website. It's a THINK TANK.

And personally, I simply LOVE this Congressional uniforms idea!

[Joe Fields]

26. OMG, POSITIVELY BRILLIANT!

You have my vote for thread of the day!

:toast:

[calimary]

98. No kidding! One of the best ideas EVER!

I LOVE this.

A little mortification is good for the soul - especially for THESE bastards.

As I watch the Auto Pirates at the hearings today, I wonder about what they and all the members of their entourages who are sitting behind them in that hearing room are making in salaries and benefits and perks and what the monetary value of all those cushy packages is. And if we could determine that value - how many auto workers' jobs the value of those executive compensation packages would underwrite - so that many workers might be allowed to stay employed? I think these fat cats in their expensive suits and rarified-air lifestyles have been compensated MORE THAN ENOUGH. Surely with everything they've pocketed even as recently as last year, they've been able to sock away enough to live on, to maintain most if not all of the lifestyle to which they've become accustomed. They should be able to live well enough on that for the next year, so that big executive jackpot they'd have received (including a "bonus" - for a job NOT very well done) could be redirected back into the company to fund the continued paychecks of quite a few of the rank-and-file.

Hell, Dr. Laura Schlessinger certainly talks about not rewarding bad behavior. I haven't listened to her for years, but I can remember how she was on about that ALL THE TIME in personal responsibility lectures. So for the life of me, I don't see why the captains of the "Big Three" auto manufacturing companies deserve ANY "bonuses" or salary or perks or other benefits - for a job not only NOT very well done, but rather A COMPLETE SHIT JOB done. Their companies have been driven into a ditch - ON THEIR WATCH. And these guys are still IN their jobs, even????? Where's the sense of that?

In my experience, you keep your job BECAUSE YOU DID A GOOD JOB. BECAUSE YOU HELPED YOUR COMPANY SUCCEED OR GROW. BECAUSE YOU DID WELL. And if you don't, you get fired. These guys are still presiding over companies about to go over a cliff. ON THEIR WATCH. Why these bastards even still HAVE their jobs is beyond me.

[tabbycat31]

27. i love it :-)

[2Design]

28. absolutely n/t

[Vincardog]

29. Could we require them to identify their sponsors in all campaign adds too?

The list would have to approach light speed to fit them all in

[awoke_in_2003]

35. "This campaign commercial...

brought to you by the people at Shell Oil, AIG, Lockheed Martin, and Pharmacorp, and we approve this message"

[clear eye]

38. Excellent n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

41. Thanks...

I ought to be in advertising :hi:

[Auggie]

30. LOL... Mike Thompson (CA-1) would be covered in wine labels

[PennDem]

43. Covered in wine labels...

Sounds like someone I could support for a change!

[Auggie]

63. He gets big donations from Constellation and Trinchero Family Estates,

otherwise known as Robert Mondavi Winery, Woodbridge, Sutter Home and a zillion others brands.

[ksimons]

31. K&R

[shireen]

32. wow! envision a rogues gallery of characters dressed in those suits. Hope there's enough space!nt

[Enthusiast]

33. What an excellent idea! nt

[Road Scholar]

39. K&R nt.

[Mongooseflies]

42. BRILLZ

incredible idea, Maybe Swamp Rat will take that as a cue for a future project!


:headbang:

[bennien]

44. and eventually we get

[fascisthunter]

45. That is Pretty Funny

I swear things in this country would improve drastically.

[Maestro]

46. My house rep Smokey Joe Barton could wear a shirt that says

"Brought to you by Big Oil." He has accepted more from Big Oil than any other senator or representative. He disgusts me.

[ElboRuum]

47. It's so... so... simple!

:thumbsup: :rofl:

[Mopar151]

48. I been tellin my buds this for years

The stars n' stripes models are already very popular
<http://www.hinchmanindy.com/designcenter.html>
My man Conan the Pitman (a man of large caliber) bought a custom Hinchman suit - it took him a week to convince his Mom that he could,nt order a business suit from them, as they were the first people who sold him clothing that fit since 2nd grade.

[Stargazer09]

49. Perfect! K&R nt

[Broadslidin]

50. Just like corporation paid public broadcasting; politicians proudly announcing corporate sponsorship

every half :pals: hour.

[abq e streeter]

51. Didn't Michael Moore propose this in one of his early books?

Great idea then, and still great now. And now I'm thinking maybe it was Jim Hightower instead(????) (too many damn withdrawals from the memory bank...)

[earth mom]

52. Michael Moore pointed out some of their sponsors in the movie Sicko.

The majority of Congress has been bought and paid for. :puke:

[tabbycat31]

54. not to mention my state

my congressman, Frank Pallone, who I did campaign for, was all about health care reform during his campaign. Unfortunately he's probably one of the highest recepients of Big Pharma $$ in congress (NJ is all about the drug industry).

[pipi_k]

53. Any ideas on who would get to wear

the Viagra uniform (a la Mark Martin)

?




Or maybe we don't really wanna know?

:o

[BrklynLiberal]

55. What a great idea...

[windoe]

56. And if they refuse, we can always doctor up their photos ourselves!!

Let the truth ridicule the lies!!

[intheflow]

57. I always liked the idea of minimum wage for politicians.

But I like your idea, too. :thumbsup:

[proud patriot]

58. Man that would make it a heck of a lot easier

:rofl:

[bonito]

59. K&R n/t !!!

[Tight_rope]

60. Damn Great Idea! Congress won't even have to vote on it.

[malaise]

61. Love it

K & R

[valerief]

62. LOL! Congress impersonators dressed like that would make great street theater! nt

[IDemo]

64. The #6 Halliburton rep and the #32 Exxon rep are cheating

I'm sure of it.

[Clear Blue Sky]

65. Great idea, but on a serious note,

wouldn't it be great of all politicians had to list their corporate and other special interest benefactors, with amount of support, on the web?

[dixiegrrrrl]

71. You do know there are web sources that do that, right?

Sourcewatch.org is one.
sunlightfoundation.org has at least 10 databases for tracking congress critters funding, voting, etc.

[Hosnon]

66. I'm 99% sure that comes from Bill Maher. nt.

[Dragonfli]

68. True! That way they can earn money for them via advertising as well as corruption.

Earning some small amount honestly for their sponsors in addition to the unethical selling of policy method that earns the bulk for their masters.

Perhaps we could recommend this both to the "sponsors" and the politicians than work for them.
It would be good for the voters to know which corporations they are voting for. There is something dishonest about not having the corporations run directly so we know what policies we are actually voting for IMHO.

[leftofthedial]

69. with logos proportionally sized by their degree of financial servitude.

[Sultana]

70. Hell Yeah

:D

[Ken Burch]

72. I'm down with that.

n/t.

[annabanana]

73. God!. .Peter King would look like a mummy! . . .

(a colorful one)

[StreetKnowledge]

74. Great idea, but.....

.....how do you deal with yahoos who have support from groups like the NRA? You're just asking for them to be.....*thinks for a minute*.....ah screw it, that might actually help us all. :D

[kelly4hope]

75. Great Idea!

[Seldona]

76. Funny and brilliant! nt

[exman]

78. OH good, my keyboard still works n/t

:spray: Too much!!

[lisainmilo]

79. What an GREAT idea!

:toast:

[Uncle Joe]

80. Kicked and recommended.

Brilliant idea, a kennedy!:think:

[threadkillaz]

82. Same with soldiers uniforms. BP/Shell/Exxon.

How's the Kirkuk Field coming Shell?

[Norrin Radd]

83. kr

[Swamp Rat]

84. yes

i agree . :D

[dixiegrrrrl]

97. yay ......!!!!!! ......Bravo.

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[barbtries]

85. wouldn't that be lovely

:)

[99th_Monkey]

87. Reminds me of that great movie, called "Idiocracy". great idea. ~nt~

[SalmonChantedEvening]

88. Telling this to everyone I know,

Thank you kennedy! :pals:

[antimatter98]

89. Brilliant idea. Congress is corrupt and incompetent.

Congress---both sides of the aisle---is incompetent to deal with this financial and
industrial meltdown. You have a bunch of lawyers who can only obfuscate, and complicate, but do not
have a working (as in having actually worked for a living) knowledge of American workers,
and of the economy.

Right now, we have Pelosi and Reid, the hallmarks of ignorance and timidity, telling
America that its fine to bail out banks and Wall Street to the tune of 9bn per day, but
at the same time, denying there's a problem on Main Street and in our industrial economy

The Big 3 are asked for a 'business plan,' but banks and WS just get a blank check?

This is truly a pitch fork moment in our history. Congress is not competent to
save this country.

[ihavenobias]

90. K & R

[Venceremos]

91. k&r

[ooglymoogly]

92. So funny....this suit should come with plenty of garter belts

filled with the money from donors and perhaps congress should install a dancing pole for critters to dance around showing their wares when they need an extra hundred thousand or two.

[gollygee]

94. ROFL!

:rofl:

[Fireweed247]

95. once again Idiocracy is ahead of it's time

but we are not far behind...

Why not include it in their name?...President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho

[The Animator]

96. * in an Enron Jumpsuit

Let's see the girls on Fox go on about his package then...