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Ham's Big List (http://drmichaelham.com/?p=25) is very appealing. I hope he stays true to it if elected. May he not make moral compromises as he raises money for his campaign.



Some of his items are ideal, but misguided.

For example, number 2, "it only takes one Senator to filibuster" is very inaccurate. It takes 41 Senators to filibuster, as a vote for cloture takes a 60-vote majority on the floor. And most bills never make it to the floor without a guarantee that it can overcome filibuster threat.

Regarding number 10, it's likely that a constitutional amendment would be necessary to reverse Citizens United. As much as money in politics sucks, shareholders are people, and "corporate personhood" is an extension of those people, with certain protections and responsibilities. Furthermore, there is already legislation to overturn Citizen's United in the Senate. Writing an entirely new proposal may not make sense.

Lastly, number 8, (and to a lesser degree, all of these), depends heavily on which committee assignments he receives. Assuming he wins a seat in the Senate, one does not just join the Senate Committee on Finance and start introducing bills. Seniority can take decades. Again, it's not ideal, but this is the way the system operates, for better or worse.




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