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Your Views: Elected leaders serve for themselves, not the people
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In general, our legislators and congressmen forget they are to represent the people. It seems once they get in office, it is to look out for themselves. Most of what is going on in both groups is a power struggle.

A close Republican friend of my serving in the Georgia legislature said "I like serving as long as I am in power, when I am not in power I have to be quiet."

What is going on in Washington is a disgrace. The best thing that could happen in Washington would be to clean house in Congress. First, when you have adults elected to serve our country who behave so disrespectfully, such as what took place at the state of the union message and the health care vote; they should hide their faces in shame. You can disagree, but in these positions, disrespect of Congress as a body is totally unacceptable.

Those people out protesting health care have no idea what is even included in the bill. Congress could have easily solved this problem with both parties agreeing to provided all citizens the same insurance benefits they have.

Republicans keep talking about how much health care will cost. I don't remember them backing off in providing billions of dollars for a war we should have never been in, plus how much value do you put on the more than 4,000 lives lost. If people want to see one of the main reasons we are in such a financial crisis, they should read the book "Blackwater." It is shocking to read about what has gone on and is still going on and we as American citizens are oblivious to it.

With the threatening of members of Congress taking place, if anything happens to a member or staff as a result of their stand, Republicans have to take to be held responsible because they "create an attitude" and you don't know how that man on the street is going react or interpret the Republicans comments.

Bottom line, Congress, as it now is operating, is a disgrace and is an insult to the hardworking men and women who work hard ever day just to exist and provide for themselves and their families.

Don Burt
Flowery Branch