Tea Party Goes Down in Mississippi

The Republic is Dead

No matter which side you support we increasingly see outside interest groups buying seats in Congress. 

By Gary;

GOP Establishment Senator Thad Cochran narrowly survived the toughest election of his four-decade political career, holding off an insurgent tea party challenge from state Sen. Chris McDaniel in Tuesday night’s runoff.

Cochran beat McDaniel 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent.

The corrupt Washington D.C. Elites were not to be caught napping by the Tea Party. 

Total spending in the Thad Cochran-Chris McDaniel GOP primary battle has reached at least $17.4 million, most of it from super PACs and other outside groups.

The Cochran campaign had raised about $4.5 million at last report. McDaniel had raised about $1.5 million.  More than 30 outside groups have spent at least $11.4 million with some $7.3 million helping McDaniel.

Outside groups loyal to Cochran have been spending big too.  The Chamber of Commerce has spent $500,000 on ads supporting the incumbent in the past week.  Main Street Advocacy has spent $100,000 on field work for Cochran in the past two days.  Mississippi Conservatives, a super PAC that received $250,000 from Michael Bloomberg.

Voters have become pawns
of outside groups who have
no connection at all to the
local state or district.

Local Voters Have Little Say

When the Republic was founded House members were selected by voters in small Congressional districts.  Everyone knew each other.  Cracking open a barrel of whisky at a rally was perhaps the largest campaign expense.

U.S. Senators were elected by the state legislatures.  Campaign spending was near zero.

Today "voters" are given the choice of candidates selected for them, and funded by, wealthy pressure groups from outside of their districts and states.

Endless millions of outside dollars flood targeted seats to make sure that the "correct" candidate wins.  Correct from the point of view of the outsiders, not of the local voters.

The vast bulk of these outside groups are not giving millions of dollars out of civic pride.  Hell, they don't even live in these states.  They want to be paid back by the winner in one form or another out of the U.S. Treasury with either tax breaks for their industry or government contracts.

Increasingly voters have simply become pawns of the Elites.  Their elected "representatives" truly represent the big money power brokers who funded their campaigns . . . they no longer represent the people.

Calls for reform go nowhere.  The bought and paid for political elite will never vote for any reform that reduces their power and increases the power of the people.  Welcome to Oligarchy.

(Clarion Ledger)      (Washington Post)