A KING 5 reporter's open letter to Congress

hobnobber said on December 26, 2011 at 10:48 PM

You cannot ruin the financial life of an elected congressperson. Once in office, even if for one term, they have benefits for life. Makes me sick. Just my opinion.

mach1 said on December 22, 2011 at 8:08 AM

hi sargemcc, yep, REALLY! do yourself a favor, no matter how much it hurts; don't EVER vote for a republican again....EVER!! you won't be sorry!!

Akogot said on December 21, 2011 at 2:07 PM

Down with the Bloody Red Queen.

sargemcc said on December 21, 2011 at 10:36 AM

Really @mach1?? Really? Washington state has been run by a vast majority of Democrats for years, and look at the mess we're in. That's not the Republican's fault, or the 'Tea Party', who don't even really exist in this great liberal socialistic state. The problem lies with every sitting incumbent, Dem and Repub alike. We CAN get rid of these greedy bastuds and need to. UNSEAT EVERY INCUMBENT!

gizmo1 said on December 21, 2011 at 8:56 AM

silkflowers...you couldn't have said that any better! You nailed it! Congress needs to be voted out and start from scratch; treat themselves like they treat US; and live like we do...after all...they're the ones telling us how to live.

spacedover said on December 21, 2011 at 8:03 AM

Answer to this unresolved survey, is leadership starts with Executive branch. Get a president that is in charge and congress will return to the job and do it well. It is time to stop this experiment in Washington and get back to work. First on the agenda is balance the budget and throw away thought of Obama care the biggest joke of the last 3 years. We don't need it and can't afford it. Amen

mach1 said on December 21, 2011 at 7:56 AM

congress?!....please....... the republican party and their radical tea party obstructionists is where the problem lies. they believe in more tax breaks for the rich & corporations not paying their fair share. this is destroying the middle class. allen, YOU are the 99%. check out the station your parent company owns; msnbc.

vffrwm said on December 21, 2011 at 5:39 AM

Lets couple with this story the story that 60 mins did a week or two ago about insider trading by members of congress. Lets look at how many of our representatives go there making a llving wage and after 5 or 6 terms come home with millions in assets. Anything wrong with that? Not according to Congress, it's just doing business. Thats just one example of what u and I can't do and there are lots and lots more. You see Congress oversees itself. They make their own rules and enforce them (or not) anyway they want. Look at a couple of years ago Charlie Wrangle got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. What happened? Censure? Nobody even knows what that is and that what Charlie got. We the people have let it get this way and let it continue. Jefferson wrote that he felt it necessary for there to be a revolution every 10 years just to keep government in line. WE ARE LONG OVER DUE

stonetrails said on December 21, 2011 at 5:17 AM

Look, teh problem is NOT congress. The problem is the American voter. You get what you ask for. And if you are not getting what you ask for, you start tossing the scumbags out of office. WE CAN CHANGE the rule son how congress gets paid, how they retire, how they obtain health care, and everything else they do (or do not do). WE CAN DO IT KEPTIN, WE HAVE THE POWER

brck727 said on December 21, 2011 at 12:32 AM

I'm so tired of hearing the same BS line out of Patty Murray. Giving tax breaks to rich. Well guess what I am not rich, I have a tax bill I have to pay every month and I'm out of job! Guess what it won't be the poor guy next door to me hiring me for my next job. I got a idea stop spending like a drunken sailor, cut your spending, this means the wars too. That way all americans can pay less and have a chance to re-build this ship we call a republic. Becuase you congress morons keep trying to steer it into icebergs. Better yet replace them all and go to a flat tax and everybody pays the same. Seems fair to me.

sargemcc said on December 20, 2011 at 11:45 PM

I see a lot of people saying the same basic thing. Our government is broken and at odds with each other while they try to keep their positions and line their pockets. Washington DC isn't representative of the NW. DC politics are run by the East Coast and California. With the technology we have today, why do we need congressmen and women, representatives? We have instant messaging and instant online voting. The people cold have a true voice through modern media by voting the issues online. And for those who say, "Not everybody has a computer", I say we have libraries, city and county offices and schools to allow everybody access. I'm no techy, but I'm sure we could devize securities. My battle cry; "UNSEAT EVERY INCUMBENT!" Unseat them all, before we no longer have an America we recognize.

silkflowers said on December 20, 2011 at 10:47 PM

This Congress ALL needs to be voted out of office so we can start over again. If they would put as much effort into running the country as they do in putting money in their own pockets while taking it out of everyone else's pocket this country would be much better off. IIt's always ME ME ME There needs to be TERM LIMITS for starters, ALL of their Golden Fleece programs to include retirement needs to be rolled over into a 401k just like the little people have, Their medical needs to go away and put them on the same medical that they are forcing on the American public. All of the security for Presidents on down needs to be done away with as they have earned enough money over the past and will make in the future to pay for it themselves. Do all of the above and quit paying for all of the illegals (schooling, medical, etc.) that are in this country it would not take long to balance the budget. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

jonjuan said on December 20, 2011 at 10:26 PM

This should have all been put to rest but the Majority D's in the senate bugged out leaving America holding the bag. What a good Christmas present from the grinches.

invalid said on December 20, 2011 at 10:04 PM

@grannyra: Rand Paul and Marco Rubio were the only so-called "Tea Party" candidates to be elected the last time around. And I'm not even sure that Marco Rubio was a Tea Party candidate.

earthstamp said on December 20, 2011 at 9:09 PM

Alan, There were 100,000 that Obama needed to be asked when he ran for President. . Where were you then? You probably voted for this. Thanks, I hope you have a nice CHRISTMAS season too.

charleylechein said on December 20, 2011 at 8:10 PM

wow. Mr Elmer, you remind me of Elmer Fudd. Searching all over for that wabbit and the wabbit has you in its sights, that wabbit is right behind you. This was a question for congress, they are part of the three ring circus in our nations capital. Know the other parts? The president and our legal system. The three parts are not perfect and never will be, that allows you to vote out the man and women that you dont agree with or on. No matter if they are a republican, democrat, or another party member... anyone can join a party, just pay $5 dollars a the door and you may get the door prize. I vote by how the person represents themselves, some times they play political games and I remember for when they for office again. Has the president done a good job? Short term, yes, Long Term, no. Will he get re-elected? Probably not. He has done too little, to late this year. He could have defused the political battles in congress, but he was on a vacation somewhere, Hawaii or Florida.

cplasch233118921 said on December 20, 2011 at 8:00 PM

Allen, I don't think they see it this way. The Bi-partisan House rejected the stupid 'two-month' payroll tax extension, that even "non-partisan" committees saw as unworkable, a burden on business, and ridiculous, and suggested a year-long break instead. The Senate, under leadership of the snake Harry Reid, rejected this as an R victory, and, being only concerned with partisan politics, rejected it as an R plot. Reid has never been concerned with what is good for the country, only with his real-estate deals and D victories. Harry Reid needs to go away. Nevada really screwed-up re-electing this clown.

awol50 said on December 20, 2011 at 7:51 PM

Alan. You missed one important thing: A politicians job is not to get anything done. A politician's job is to be re-elected.

chuckstr76 said on December 20, 2011 at 7:37 PM

Thank you Allen, and you Elmer are dont have a clue...sometimes simplicity is the best avenue.

alexcran said on December 20, 2011 at 7:30 PM

This is a wonderful letter Mr. Schauffler! I have to agree with you on every comment that you made.

howardreaglehom said on December 20, 2011 at 7:14 PM

Well said, Elmer. It is Obama who is setting the dialog, it is Obama who has turned this country from a free market economy into a government dependancy state and it is Obama who, in three year, has taken the term "American Exceptionalism" and turned it into an apologists term meaning were sorry for being so good. This country will be great again when Newt or Mitt, or Rick ascedes to the Presidency, Maria Cantwell and her ilk are shown the door, an oil pipeline from ANWAR and the Dakotas are built (with non-union labor) and liberals are given the same derision as Sarah Palin by consiprators such as yourself, Shaufler. You'd be surprised with the real world if you actually worked for a living, Alan.

excoastie said on December 20, 2011 at 6:57 PM

Face it. The only time any politician thinks about the public that they hope to serve, is just prior to the election.

norsky said on December 20, 2011 at 6:52 PM

You have hit the nail on the head. These represenatives (I use that lightly and with tongue in cheek) are the most unproductive bunch of clowns I have ever seen. To believe this can go on and on is beyond belief. The people of this country have to vote these do-nothings out of office. The 99% will continue to get screwed by these elected bunch of idiots. The people will finally take control when they are impacted themselves by the actions, or lack of actions, of the politicians. They make me sick..

intrepid1 said on December 20, 2011 at 6:22 PM

@Elmer120: Your comment is way off base and your reasoning is rather flawed. Congress is the LEGISLATIVE branch of government and the President is the EXECUTIVE branch. You CAN have a poll asking about the one without including the other. It isn't biased to ask "How is Congress doing?" It isn't biased to ask "How is the President doing?" What would make it biased is in asking a skewed question or providing answers that direct toward a particular outcome... such as the "So, how often do you beat your wife?" variety (which, if you look really closely at GOP and Heritage Foundation polls, have such biased questions which make assumptions.) By your logic, you would also need to include the Judiciary in the poll as they are the third branch of government -- excluding them in this would also, by your reasoning (even if it included both the legislative and executive branches) would be biased. As to your insult at the end, it applies equally to you for a different cause.

hewhoo said on December 20, 2011 at 6:17 PM

Elmer, while Obama is well under 50% approval rating, he is not quite into the ABO (anybody but Obama) category; the Congress, however, is in the 'anything has to be better' category.

grannyra said on December 20, 2011 at 6:17 PM

The Tea Party is doing what we elected them to do Allen.

Elmer120 said on December 20, 2011 at 5:49 PM

When Schauffler did not include the President in that question it not only made the question illegitimate, it exposed Schauffler’s real motive. Obama has to run against Congress because he can't run on his record so Schauffler is a very obvious accomplice. Why would Schauffler come out of the closet a year before the election? We not only need to get rid of our representatives we also need a new President but Allen Schauffler does not want to go there. Reporting unbiased news is good. Being a lackey is bad.