A couple of days ago, I got an e-mail from a candidate running for US Senate touting the fact that they raised around $156,000 in 2007 for their campaign.  And by touting I mean it was the subject line in the e-mail and then put in the e-mail as a "headline".  There was no way you could miss it.

So what's the problem?  Well in 2006, senators got paid $162,000 a year. 

I sit and look at those numbers and my brain scrambles.  We're living in a society where we vote for someone who spends just about as much (honestly I think this figure is low for most candidates) as they would earn to try to get a job they may or may not get and then pat themselves on the back for it.  We seem to have candidates who seem to be perpetually running.  Which means even when they win, they "lose".  And yet we somehow believe these folks when they say they are going to be able to balance the budget. 

How can we vote for someone who attempts to justify this madness?

It's one of those disillusioning moments for me.