THE GROUND FATHER - How Politics Mirrors the Mafia

During the health care summit the Administrationbecome "made." Once a guy has paid his dues to
put on as a dog and pony show, one participantThe Family, it's his turn to become a "made" man.
compared the Democrats and Republicans toHis reward is an elected office. Sorry, but this is
Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." This is an insultas appalling as it is true.
to warring families everywhere. If we're going toThe Family also has certain rules you never
invoke movie trivia let's get it straight. Our politicalviolate: you never talk badly about another Family
parties are not "Romeo and Juliet;" They at bestmember; you never rat a guy out, you show
Groundhog's Day and at worst The Godfather.loyalty to the Party/Family regardless of whether
In the Bill Murray flick Groundhog's Day the samethey are decent, fair, right or wrong. The Family
thing keeps happening day after day after day. Ithas the money, and can make or break your
is maddening to the protagonist but every timepolitical career. So you show them deference so
the alarm rings in the morning, it's the same olethey'll give you money for TV ads, because that's
same ole. Sound familiar? Sound like your localhow elections are won. The true movie about
politician giving you the same ole blah blah? This ispolitics in America is a sorry combination of
politics and now, after having been exposed to itGroundhog's Day and The Godfather. Let's call it
intimately for six months I can tell you this: keepThe Ground Father.
electing the same old guys over and over andIconoclasts like my husband, who ran for
you're going to get what you get. The popularCongress against an entrenched Republican party
definition of insanity is doing the same thing overfavorite, are trying to break the system and bring
and over and expecting different results. Electthe power back to the people. It's less about
your standard bland party guy and you'll getissues than integrity. Whom can you trust? Which
back-room back-door back slapping deal-making.candidate has the people's interest at heart and
Politics, at least in Colorado, probably across thewhich one is just trying to get a good paying job
country and undoubtedly on both sides of thewith lots of esteem? Republican or Democrat, we
aisle, is a chilling replica of The Godfather. It is allkeep electing the same exact guy. Only the width
about power. Which Family is in control? Whichof his tie has changed over the decades.
Family has the power? The Family in power onlyI've never liked politics and never will but if folks
cares about keeping it and the Family on the outsdon't wake up and vote for non-politicians, the
only wants it. Each Family has a cohort of men,newest movie about the state of our
mostly, who know how to shuffle and makegovernment will be Dumb and Dumber. We get
deals, who are not queasy about breaking kneeswhat we deserve. Let's start thinking that we
(figuratively of course) and who wait in line todeserve better than mediocre.