Term limits and doing away with politicians benefits would go a long way. Being a legislator should not be a profitable business. I am fine with paying the house and senate a reasonable sum, I seem to do alright on my salary as a soldier so they should be able to do the same. We get a housing allowance depending on where we are stationed, they could get that too so they can have a sensible place to live in DC while they work there. No need to travel back and forth to their home state much during session, unless there is some issue that they need to see first hand. I go to the field for weeks or a month at a time, deploy for a year sometimes longer, they can suck it up too. The problem as I see it, is that people no longer get into politics for a love of country and what's right, or at least what they believe to be right. They go into it chasing the almighty dollar, and stay because of greed and an easy life.
I also have a suggestion on how to run campaigns for election and reelection. Both sides start with the same amount of money. That's all you get, no more and if any wrongdoing is found you forfeit the election and are banned from politics for life. If you can't budget an election, you damn sure can't budget a nation.
Conduct of legislators should be governed by much the same rules as the army, or at least the old army. You get a DUI, you're out. Drug use (tested regularly) you're out. Patterns of misconduct(this can include lying), failure to adapt, AWOL (in this case missing votes) you're out. If you can't hack it you're OUT.
We also need to change that office linebacker guy to be the "constitution linebacker". Somebody proposes something that goes against the constitution and WHAM!
*like*
