Congress Works for Who Pays Them.

Congressmen Harry Mitchell wrote an Op-Ed for the Arizona Republic today and boasted that he joined with Rep. Ron Paul of Texas to once-again introduce the Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act, HR 156.

Mitchell pointed out that, "This was the wrong time for Congress to raise its own pay." Unemployment is now at 8.1%, home values are falling and foreclosures are on the rise, "a Congressional pay raise seems glaringly out of touch."

The American Conservative Republican agrees with Mitchell, Congressional pay is out of touch, and this is the wrong time for Congress to raise their own pay. Perhaps Congressional pay wouldn't be so out of touch with the American people if the Congress didn't have the power to raise their own pay.

If someone works for whom pays them, then who does Congress work for, themselves?

Any time is the wrong time for Congress to pay themselves, they are supposed to work for WE THE PEOPLE, not for themselves.

The Congress has the power to appropriate money from the federal treasury to pay the bills of the federal government and the salary of employee's of the federal government including, the President and the judicial branch, they, should and do, have the power to determine how much to pay the President and other federal employees, but they should not be allowed to raid the federal treasury and determine their own pay.

The United States are a federal republic and the Congress of the United States represent the individual states in that republic, therefore, Congress works for the states and the people and, therefore, the states should determine how much to pay their representatives in Congress and pay them out of their own state treasuries.

By prohibiting the Congress from paying themselves and having the states pay Congress, the states and the people will have more control over our representatives to the federal government and therefore over the federal government itself, which was the basic idea behind forming our federal government in the first place.

If someone works for whom pays them, let the states pay Congress and have them work for us instead of for themselves.

Poll Picks Mitt Romney, Favorite for GOP in 2012.

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), held its annual conference February 26 -28, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Registrants were invited to take part in a straw poll, which 1,757 of them did. Not surprisingly, when they were asked if they approve or disapprove of the job that Barack Obama is doing as president, 95% disapproved, surprisingly, however, 4% did approve. Isn't there always about 4% that don't understand the question ? Poll takers were also asked their opinion of the job Republicans in Congress are doing, 70% approved and 29% disapproved.

The CPAC conferences are traditionally early proving grounds for future Republican presidential candidates and those taking the poll were asked to think ahead to the 2012 presidential election and who they would vote for as the next GOP nominee for president. 20% of those responding selected former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as their choice for the 2012 GOP nomination, followed by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal with 14%, and with Ron Paul and Sarah Palin both polling 13%. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich polled 10% and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee pulled in 7% of the vote. Other potential presidential candidates listed on the poll included, Mark Sanford 4%, Rudy Giuliani 3%, Tim Pawlenty 2% and Florida Governor Charlie Crist with 1%. Of those completing the poll, 9% were undecided.

When respondents were asked if they are generally satisfied with the names floated as potential GOP contenders, 55% said they were satisfied and 44% wished the GOP had a better field of potential candidates.

Rush Limbaugh led the pack for favorite conservative media personality with 26%, followed by Glenn Beck with 17%, Sean Hannity with 11%, Bill O'Reilly with 10%, and Ann Coulter with 7%. Michael Savage was voted as the favorite of 3% with Mark Levin, Michael Medved, Neal Boortz and, Bill Bennett each getting 2% of the vote.