This chart shows where members of Congress who left office in 2011 (either by defeat or retirement) went to work after leaving Capitol Hill.  More than half became lobbyists or joined lobbying firms.  More from Open Secrets

Now I realize that correlation does not prove causation.  But surely the revolving door between Capitol Hill and K Street makes this the future we can expect:

“The top 1% captured 93% of the income gains in the first year of recovery.”  

More on this from Mike Konczal.

Thomas Ferguson is a prominent political scientist who has analyzed how our Congress functions.  He states:

Put simply, there is a point beyond which economic inequality in its
own right complicates electoral control. The appropriate comparison is perhaps with a
powerful magnetic field. When The Force is with them – when, that is, Congressmen and
women, their staffs, presidential aides, and federal regulators can be sure of walking out
of their offices to become multimillionaires when they retire or step down – expecting
them to act consistently in the public interest is idle, even if all representatives were
elected on 100% public funding.

Closing the revolving door must be our top priority. 

Every candidate hears and sees things that make him think he is the best candidate for the job.  I am no different. There is no way I can become a full-time candidate because my family needs my income.  So I will continue to work while I campaign on nights and weekends.  Of course, I think having a 40+ hour-a-week job is an asset.  The fact that I am a long, long way from independently wealthy is a strength.  It is also apparently a rarity.  

This just makes me more committed to my campaign.  I have heard scores of people say that the problem with Congress (or Washington) is that there are no regular people there.  That does not need to be the case.  I am running because I already represent most of the citizens in the 5th district: the unemployed; the family members trying to help parents deal with Medicare and Social Security; the parents arguing before town councils to keep school funding at levels that will benefit each student; and the voter frustrated with officials that listen more attentively to big-money donors.  

My observer bias finds two or three news items every week to keep me working to make the House more representative.