The "Kick Them All Out" Project

Lately I've been seeing a lot of bumper stickers which carry a simple message: "Fire Congress!" Given the fervor of advertising on the Congressional races, I thought I would look at what these people are actually about. For so many people to stick these on their cars, the Kick Them All Out Project must be a serious group. Yet, upon reading their main goals in the FAQ, it is clear they need to get some facts straight. I specifically take issue with their perception of the relationship between special interest groups and congressmen.

In order to stop these people, we must understand how they accomplished the hostile takeover of our government in the beginning. First, they took control of Congress by making it legal for their corporations to interfere. They accomplished this by planting a loophole in the Constitution. Then the loophole was exploited to award "human rights protections" for artificial corporate entities, which gave corporations the right to directly interfere with government and elections.

Special interest groups generally are playing a big part in government and elections, but not because "human rights protections" have been awarded them, whatever that means. Congressmen run frequently and need funds to run their campaigns; it usually takes much more money than they have to run one. Contributions come from people who support them and want to see them elected. According to the studies made in Mueller's Public Choice III, PACs contribute for the same reasons. In fact, in 20.3.2 on page 487, he says, "the results from most of these studies seem to imply that contributors are not merely trying to increase the election probabilities of candidates whom they favor, but are trying to influence the votes that they will cast on specific issues, or to obtain specific political 'favors.'" Yes, corporations themselves can't stand in the voting line with everyone else, but they can affect the system by giving candidates the funds for advertising, flyers, etc., they need without asserting things like "human rights protections."

If the group was directly criticizing the fact that PACs are allowed to contribute along with the individual citizen, then their opposition would be valid. However, this group has completely missed the mark; I don't think taking away human rights protections from corporations will work. These people need serious schooling in Public Choice.