Pocan "hates" DC, like any decent person should

Good stuff here from my Congressman, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan. This story generates from Rep. Pocan’s interview with Mike Gousha over the weekend, where Mark admitted he “hates Congress” like the rest of us, and blames the self-absorbed, idiotic priorities that D.C. and many of its lawmakers have. Pocan says this mentality reflects in the shoddy process that passes for “lawmaking” these days.

"Well, what do we get done right now? People should be mad at us. Since 2010, we haven't done a budget process at all like it's supposed to happen. We don't do the appropriation bills like we should. We don't have full debates like we should so that public action can have scrutiny."

"Instead, I get an omnibus bill to look at with 48 hours notice that's full of everything, plus what you can't imagine is also in there. it's not even related to the subject matter. And I'm supposed to vote on it intelligently in 48 hours? People should be mad at us. We're not addressing the concerns of people when they sit at that kitchen table and are worried about their futures."

Pocan also told Gousha that stagnant wages and increasing economic inequality are what's causing the anger on both sides of the electorate, and he thinks that Sanders has tapped into that reality that people are feeling.

Pocan, who's in his second term in Congress from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, was initially responding to a question about whether Bernie Sanders could be elected president after having labeled himself a socialist.

"I think those labels, real people get beyond what the political class likes to talk about," Pocan said. "They don't worry so much about a label, but they worry about what are you going to do for them so that they can finally see that bump in their paychecks, so they can take care of their family? That's what real people care about."

And this conflict between the wants of everyday people and the game the political class plays is playing out in the presidential race for both Democrats and Republicans, where the average citizen does not see Congress and corporate America working for them, and they are turning against those candidates that are likely to be OK with a status quo that's not working for most people. The overriding question on both sides of the aisle seems to be this- Can this country's many problems be fixed incrementally through the current system, or are things so far gone that the game itself has to be changed, and that can be only be done by electing politicians that will work to change the game. Those that are wrapped up inside the Acela Corridor think things are still fine...and therefore seem way out of touch with the rest of the country, who aren't buying what a lot of people in power and in the media are trying to sell us.

At least some politicians like Mark Pocan still care enough about their constituents to understand why the average American is concerned and angry. We need to elect more people that do, and get rid of the ones who think “DC World” and working for Big Money is a more important than listening to the people that elect them (cough- PAUL RYAN - cough).