>>Both parties are running such ads, and they disgust me equally. What I want seems easy enough in theory: politicians who truly serve their constituents ahead of their party. Who follow their conscience. Imagine that! Interesting that the first two who come to mind are John McCain and Olympia Snowe, both Republicans.
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>I bet there are many who start out trying to do it that way, but end up caught up in the machinery.
>I seem to remember most of the new 'contract with America' (or whatever it was called) winners making a big splash about doing it that way. I wonder where they stand now?
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>We have a party called "Reform" (now the minority government) that, when they fist ran and elected 50ish representatives they pledged to be different by doing little things like:
>- not occupying the tax-payer funded "Leader of the Opposition" home for their leader;
>- opting out of the gold-plated pension scheme;
>- never allowing lobbyists to cross their portals.
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>None of that lasted longer than the first session, the machine being far too inviting.
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I agree with you that many politicians do start out with better intentions than they wind up with. IMO part of it is the headiness of power and a bigger part is the money. Money is the lubricant of the entire machinery. Not necessarily in one's own pockets -- although of course that happens -- just enough money to keep the machine running. It's like the parable of the frog and the pot of water. If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water it will immediately jump out. But if you put a frog in a pot of warm water and then gradually raise the temperature, the frog may not realize what's happening until it's too late.