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Erik Kain

Erik writes about video games at Forbes and politics at Mother Jones. He's the contributor of The League though he hasn't written much here lately. He can be found occasionally composing 140 character cultural analysis on Twitter.

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9 Responses

  1. John Henry says:

    Interesting proposal. It strikes me that the analogy they’re using is a little tone-deaf politically. After all, if you’re accused of being the party of smug-we-know-better-paternalists, does it really help your case to imply the American people are children who need wise Democratic congressional representatives (with motives as pure as the driven snow, of course!) to make all the significant decisions behind closed doors and present sweeping legislative changes as a fait accompli? I’m skeptical that the analogy is that useful to anyone who has any skepticism about Democratic leadership.Report

  2. Kyle says:

    If you want a tongue in cheek suggestion, have I got a pitch for you.

    Big Brother Congress Edition: The nation elects 435 people in November, casting professionals choose another 100 Senators, then we send them to an island where cameras cover the legislators 24/7: health care negotiations, steamy affairs, Jeff Flake spearing fish like Cast Away. They’ll have no contact with the outside world for a year and a half, except for sporadic briefings. The whole thing can be dual hosted by President Obama and white Oprah, Sarah Palin. Oh and whatever proceeds we get from ad revenue will pay down the national debt.

    10 bucks says there’d be no discernible drop in the quality of legislation.Report

    • Aaron in reply to Kyle says:

      An interesting proposal. Put hidden cameras in the bathroom stalls and see how many senators have “wide stances”! Put a confessional in between each chamber of Congress, and see what kind of juicy gossip you can unearth. It’d probably draw more of the public to be involved in national politics.Report

  3. Francis says:

    As someone who has represented, negotiated against and sued government agencies, let me recommend the California and federal case law regarding executive and legislative privilege. Our elected officials should have the ability to meet in private with private individuals (and their lobbyists) to receive their unvarnished views. Actual deliberation as to how to cast votes should, by contrast, be held in public.

    Unless you plan to follow around each Senator and Representative with a CSPAN camera 24/7, politicians will find a way to hear from their constituents and caucus with their colleagues in private. And do you really want to elect the kind of person who’s comfortable with being watched all the time? We have enough raging egotists in office without providing any further disincentive to semi-normal people who are considering a career in politics.Report

  4. “There are no lobbyists when a husband and wife decide where to spend Christmas… “

    Um, hello? Mother-in-laws? For my wife and I the Christmas lobbying usually starts about 5 minutes after Thanksgiving dinner.Report

  5. Jaybird says:

    Next week, Matt Y will write a post about how closing Guantanamo is a lot more idealistic than realistic given the particulars of the War On Terror.

    Ezra plans on writing a post about how gay marriage shouldn’t be expected to be a priority.

    Then both will write a post about how Hurricane W Hitlerburton had the worst and most cynical administration in history.Report

    • North in reply to Jaybird says:

      Huh, interesting, would you disagree with any of those three assertions Jay?Report

      • Jaybird in reply to North says:

        “worst and most cynical administration in history”, maybe.

        I can’t tell the difference between BHO and HDH.

        When it comes to the other stuff, I just see yet another politician running on principle and governing on convenience.

        Additionally, seeing the so-called “progressives” give quite reasonable defenses of Obama reminds me of one of the things I yelled about regarding Republicans under Bush: If he had opened an abortion clinic and the left started yelling, Bush Partisans would have started explaining, quite reasonably, that entropic pregnancies have killed countless women, and, besides, everybody makes exceptions for rape and incest and don’t you think it ironic that the so-called “pro-choicers” are yelling about an abortion clinic?Report