Liberty Tree

I agree with the problems you stated, but they already exist. Term limits would prevent those who want to be career politicans from becoming to rentrenched in the system.

Loki Loc: Georgia

There is always that danger, but State legislators have to stand for re-election every two years. I personally know both my Senator and Congressman. When I was in high school, one of my classmates was our then State Senator's son. They are closer to the people. Before the 17th Amendment was passed, we didn't have professional politicians in the Senate. There was not such an influx of out-of-state money. There will always be "party bosses," and influence peddling, as long as there are politicians. It is just a smaller, more manageable scale in State, rather than Federal politics.

Huck Loc: The Midwest

Absolutly! The way the founders intended. What we have become was one of there greatest fears. Huck

Liberty Tree

If the state legislature were given the power to select the Senators a lot more outside influence would coming pouring in. No matter how it is done corruption will find its way into it. Right now I still lean slightly in favor of election by the voters.

lindajoy Loc: right here with you....

Amen Liberty~~~~``You got that right!!!!!!

Liberty Tree

Good morning LJ, just take the state of North Carolina. Over 100 million dollars combined is being spent by the two sides to win that election. No matter who wins somebody will be looking for a payback. It would not be much different isf the legislature picked the Senator.

lindajoy Loc: right here with you....

Isn't it amazing how the debt continues to climb, mounting by the second and there is no "money" until elections come????? What a crock!!!!!!!! OR plenty to 'give them, for the dirty deeds they want or need from them once in office"~~~~And Good Morning~~~`

RightwingLiberal

You are mostly correct when you say the War Against Northern Aggression was fought over States Rights. There were other issues such as trade tariffs and sectional political power superiority. To say the war was NOT fought over SLAVERY is simply letting everyone know your historical perspective is out of whack. Southern states not only wanted the right to maintain slavery, but to expand it to the Pacific. Also, there was a shortage of slaves. Cheap land in the new states and territories made the opportunity for more entrepreneurs to start new cotton and sugar plantations. The price of a field hand had become too expensive. Many were pushing to repeal the ban on legally importing more slaves. Southerners do not like to admit it, but the practice of breeding slaves to sell for pleasure and profit was a lucrative business. Weigh carefully your comments regarding the reasons why the War Between the States was fought.

Loki Loc: Georgia

While you are at it, do not forget that the US Census of 1830 showed 1276 black slave owners in the US. About 60% of them "owned" one or two family members. The rest bought and sold other blacks just like in Africa. The Emancipation Proclamation basically did not free a single slave, as it only applied to the States in rebellion, where it was ignored. Slavery remained legal in W VA, MD, KY and NJ until December of 1865, more than 2 years after the Proclamation.
Abraham Lincoln said in the Lincoln-Douglas debates prior to his election that he in no way favored giving blacks equal rights. In a letter to Horace [Go west, young man] Greeley, then editor of the NY Times, Lincoln said of the War of Northern Aggression that his sole purpose was to preserve the Union, and if that meant not freeing the slaves, that is what he would do. If it meant freeing them, that's what he would do, and if it meant freeing some and leaving others be, he would do that.
Ulysses S Grant, Commanding General of all Northern Armies, said that if he thought the war was about ending slavery, he would have fought for the South. His wife owned four slaves until she was forced to free them by the ratification of the 13th Amendment. Contrast Robert E Lee, commanding Southern forces, who voluntarily freed his slaves after ensuring they had some way to make a living.
One last bit of historical trivia; only about 5 or 6% of the slaves brought to the Western Hemisphere ended up in the US. The rest went to South America, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. Almost all of the slaves brought to the US came from one part of Africa. These people had already been enslaved by other blacks. Whites did not enslave them, they bought them from the blacks who had enslaved them. While Arabs enslaved more blacks than blacks did, in this particular area of Africa, such was not the case.

pas Loc: Flordia

Hey, Huck et al...the word is secede, not succeed. Although I do sometimes wish the South had managed to succeed when they tried to secede. And you are absolutely right about why the Civil War was fought. STATES' RIGHTS...and the RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE TO BE FREE FROM AN OVERREACHING FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

CDM Loc: Florida

I have been in the same place with this for years. Damned if you do damned if you don't sort of thing. Given the fact that so many Senators do not today even live in the state they represent but live in D.C. to serve the party needs I am in favor of repeal and return to the appointment system and;

Term limits and tax system reconstruction and proof of citizenship and...

Loki Loc: Georgia

Far as I'm concerned, you are preaching to the choir. We would have been a far different, and far better country had Comrade Woodrow Wilson and his sidekick, Comrade Edward House, had never been born.
We would have been spared the 16th and 17th Amendments, the Federal Reserve, fractional banking, the IRS, and the First World War.

CDM Loc: Florida

I believe the choir is shrinking rapidly in favor of entitlement governance. As I have pointed out numerous times; Democrats have been in majority control for 65 of the past 84 years. And look where we are. They will not allow the changes that are needed to stabilize the government, never...

House was indeed a piece of work but you have to agree there are Democrats today that make him look like Marx pre-school...

badbobby Loc: texas

huck I think you will find they vote more on their lobbyists lines than their party lines
well maybe not more ,but a whole dam lot