A. you didn’t need to care about the issues at hand.

B. You could vote in such a way so that your government would be better suited to listen than ever before.

Full disclosure: I am slightly liberal. Just to the left of Mao Tse Tung.

A gay couple’s right to a happy life together? check

A woman’s right to choose? check

An effort to stem the tide of Global Climate Change? check

Ending the Iraq War sooner rather than later? check

I’ve never voted for a Republican in my life. In fact, my very first vote, cast in a 1984 democratic primary was for Jesse Jackson.

I always vote with my heart. And I’ve been wrong for over 20 years now.

In case you are not familiar with the Change Congress movement, take 20 minutes out of your life and become educated.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Now that we are all up to speed, let me tell you a story. I was at a breakfast the other morning and met Jacob Turk. Jacob is running for Congress as a Republican in the 5th district of Missouri against Emmanuel Cleaver. He represents almost the polar opposite of how I feel. Don’t believe me? Check out his stance on the issues.

He’s for “traditional” family values (which are what exactly?), against Embryonic Stem-cell research, securing of the borders, and is for the Iraq War.

And I feel it is too bad I don’t live in the 5th district because if I did, I would absolutely vote for Jacob Turk. Why? He took the Change Congress Pledge.

He pledges to:

• I will accept contributions from individuals only, lobbyists excepted.

  Learn more about: lobbyists

• I will support the fundamental reform of congressional earmarks.

  Learn more about: earmarks

• I will support reform to increase transparency in Congress.

  Learn more about: transparency

• I will support public financing of public elections.

Money has corrupted the legislative branch. Our congress people are professional money earners and use us to line their wallets with cash. Emmanuel Cleaver’s political coffers are 50% stacked with money from lobbyists and Politcal Action Committees.

Your voice is useless against those who place money above the will of the people. A candidate, even one who feels opposite of the way you do, that doesn’t rely on money from special interests, in theory, should be willing to listen. What other options do they have to stay in office?

So in this election, ignore the issues. Vote on how reliant the candidates are on money and their mission to be re-elected. Vote for someone who is more likely to listen to your voice. That’s the only way you’ll have one.

And once we have a Congress that will listen, maybe then the issues will matter once again. To you and everyone.