Hunter Bates, a longtime aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell, donated $3,000 to McConnell’s campaign in December while he was on contract with pharmaceutical giant Amgen to lobby on “fiscal cliff issues,” according to recently released FEC reports. Soon after, Amgen received a $500 million dollar windfall in the fiscal cliff deal that was negotiated by Sen. McConnell. We are calling on Sen. McConnell to return all donations from Amgen and its lobbyists. We cannot let corporations win sweetheart deals with campaign donations.

Over and over the voters have had to fight for the right to easily register; the right to vote early; the right to vote by mail; the right to vote without ID poll taxing. And because voting is handled by the states, districts and counties, it has been a piecemeal fight; gaining ground in one area and then losing ground in another. It is time that there were national minimal standards for voting. A minimum number of early voting days. A minimum percentage of polling places based on population. A national voting registry to ease the registration process and take it out of the hands of partisan interest groups. No one should have to stand in line for hours to vote. Voting should be easy.

. The present system of local partisan control of elections, through gerrymandering and voter suppression, has produced an obstructionist minority controlled Congress.

Support immigration reform that provides an earned path to citizenship, preserves family unity, gives an opportunity to all those who were brought here as minors to contribute their talents in the U.S.,restores due process protections to immigration enforcement, provides an adequate number of visas to meet our need for low-skilled and high skilled laborers, and addresses the root causes of migration, such as persecution and economic disparity.

I want to initiate a radical change to the presidential election process to try and reduce the effect of party politics. It was so obvious to me this past campaign season that party politics does not work in the best interest of our nation and its people. I am so tired of the way the main stream parties manage campaigns and I feel we need to change the process so the people have more power in the decisions regarding our leadership.

Life long politicians only concern is being re-elected. Therefore, they act in their own best interest and cater to whomever is providing the most money for their re-election. The 22nd Ammendment sets term limits for the President of the United States. The time has come for Congress to have term limits as well. I have taken the 22nd Ammendment and modified it to apply to the Senate and House of Representatives.

Watch this interview for details. http://billmoyers.com/segment/u-s-rep-peter-welch-on-amgen%e2%80%99s-sweet-senate-deal/

Congress and our Senate elected officials sould only be allowed TWO terms. Right know we have the best congress and senate that money can buy. Big money lobbyist and the people who pay them are the ones running this country. Vote them out of office, and put the fear of us to work. If they fear loosing their gobs, the'll think twice about spending our money.

Last year the Missouri legislature gerrymandered the congressional districts, dividing up the 3rd District, pitting two Democrats against each other in a shrunken 1st District in St. Louis and expanding the 8th District from the southern part of the St. Louis area all the way to the Bootheel border with Arkansas. Russ Carnahan had ably represented the 3rd District, but he was shoved out of a job by the redistricting. Immediately after the November election Jo Ann Emerson, (R-Cape Girardeau) who was elected to an eighth term as congresswoman from the 8th District, announced she was resigning. Gov. Nixon may appoint a successor to the seat until the election in June. He should appoint Russ Carnahan, who served 4 terms in Congress before his district was effectively carved up into oblivion. Carnahan would continue his excellent service to our state and maintain continuity for Missouri constituents. He'd be a great choice in June, too, but that's up to the voters.

It appears to me that Congress have voted themselves into PlutocratsThey have forgotten what it is like to be a Middle Class American. Maybe if their retirement was what many of their constitutes are dependent on they would be less willing to cut and gut Medicare and Social Security. OR Maybe they should be willing to give each U.S. citizen their retirement?

Lobbying is the seat of corruption in our government. It gets between the people and their elected officials and it leads to our leaders ignoring their constituents and going with the highest bidding lobbyist. This is NOT part of a democratic process.

Our government system is dated & destroying our country & citizens. The reality is no government which has 2 or more opposing parties will ever be in harmony for the sole purpose of doing what is right for the people and country as 1. Common sense tells one that when there are 2 parties competing for power, the people & country suffer the consequences of their struggle to have the upper hand over the other.