Clean up the corruption in Congress?

A friend forwarded an email from Vincent Latona <vlatona@cox.net> dated September 29, 2009. He started off

The entire Congress of the United States is corrupt. And
 I mean both Houses and I mean both major parties.

 I realize that a few Members of each House are trustworthy, but, as a  group
 they are absolutely the most corrupt bunch  to ever disgrace our Nation.
  

 He explained his plan: don't vote for any incumbent in the 2010 national elections. That would mean 435 new representatives, and 33 new senators. Then vote out another 1/3 of the senators in 2012, and the final third in 2014. He ended,

IF YOU LIKE THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING IN OUR COUNTRY, THEN DO NOTHING.........

 

 

My Response:

 

I'm certainly in favor of this, but "it ain't going to happen." The reason is that so few voters pay any attention to all these shenanigans. They just vote for whoseever name sounds familiar, or someone they voted for before. For example, Sen. Robert Byrd has been in for at least three decades, getting billions of dollars of Fed money -- our money -- for his constituents. They don't care that their Fed largesse is gotten from the hard-earned taxes of others, they just keep voting Byrd in again.
 

Moreover, the special interests have bought most of the congresscritters, so they're going to pay big money for ads touting their bought people. So the common people don't even hear about better choices -- or they do, because they've also been bought..
 

Thirdly, much of the business of Congress is done by bureaucrats and staff. New congresspeople hire the staff of the defeated congresspeople. The bureaucrats keep going as usual. And the special interests who have already made it possible for the congresspeople to get elected, become very cozy with them, writing the laws for them, etc.

Solutions?
1) Public money only for all candidates, whether from the two main parties, or any other.
2) Better education in schools of what to look for in deciding whom to vote for.
3) Complete exclusion of all special interests from working with congresspeople or their staffs. And so on.

Chances of the first and third becoming law? Close to zero -- because the bought congresspeople have to pass them! But you've got to keep trying, right?