Rep. Tim Burchett

It's all about the posse.

It's all about, you know, having the front row seats at all the events and being introduced and having your butt kissed as soon as you walk in the door.

And that creates groupthink, and that weakens our country, and that is what we've got now.

Because to get in power in Washington, D.C., this may come as a surprise to you and some of your listeners, and I hope it does, but to get in power, you've got to do two things, and I don't do either one of them very well at all.

You have to kiss a lot of butt, and you've got to raise a ton of money for your party.

And they literally, literally have to...

They will literally issue you a bill at the beginning of the conference, and both parties do it.

They put it on a piece of paper, Mr. Black, or Glenn, excuse me, and they give it to you, and the press is in on it.

Listen, if Congress...

was the NFL, Peyton Manning would still be waiting to get in because to get there, early on the lobbyists will, you know, you see the favorites and the fair-haired child of both parties and how they kind of promote them and the media promotes them.

It's all a game.

It's all a game.

And then all of a sudden, oh, wow, they're in the press.

I'm going to write them a check.

I know.

And then they gain all this money.

And they nurture them and bring them along, you know.

And then, lo and behold, they're moving up the leadership chart.

And then all of a sudden, they're a chairman.

I remember when I first got to Congress, our then leader, who's no longer in Congress, said, hey, man, I sometimes will mentor some people, and I'd love to mentor you.