A "Pragmatic Independent"

As the nation awaits Congressional testimony from the Treasury Department about the AIG bailout and while President Obama rehearses his State of the Union speech to be delivered tonight, Barry Ritholtz writes about his political affiliations (or, in this case, the lack thereof).

Whenever people ask me what my party affiliation is, I respond “Pragmatic Independent.”

The question usually comes up in response to something I wrote. I’ve been contacted by Republicans, who want me to join or advise their committees. I usually tell them that I find much of their ideology intellectually indefensible, and their marriage to the religious right offensive.

When I get the same question from Democrats, my response is they seem to not understand how the economy works, are too spineless to get anything done, and are way too politically correct for my tastes.
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Today, I have to search far and wide to find congress critters who are uncorrupted, understand how business works, and have the balls to call it like it is. Alan Grayson of Florida is the closest thing I have seen to what a modern Congressman should be like.

We have a Congress that is a Parliament of Whores of who sold themselves to the highest corporate bidder. Why do I want to have any affiliation with either group? And I am not sure if a 3rd party can break the death grip on America the parties have.

In my view, there is little to quibble with in this assessment of the body politic with the possible exception of an adverb that could be inserted between "a Parliament of" and the word "Whores". The word "cheap" comes immediately to mind, particularly after recalling this commentary by Bill Gross a few weeks back where he notes that "combined labor, insurance, big pharma and related corporate interests spent just under $500 million last year on healthcare lobbying (not much of which went to politicians) for what is likely to be a $50-100 billion annual return".