David Drake: Congress Takes A Holiday

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Congress Takes A Holiday

Boy, we're sure getting our money's worth out of the 110th Congress - yes? What a super-duper bunch! I tell 'ya - ever since the "New Democrat Majority" took their oath this past January they have been working harder than ever, taking brave new steps to conquer our dependence on foreign oil, streamlining us towards energy independence and really - really! - showing their support for the Troops by not trying to hold up funding for the Military.

What? You don't agree with me?

Congress, again - under the "new Dems" - after ten, long, arduous, hardworking months will return to a four day work week; something the Dems chastised the Republicans for - that is, until the Dems decided to slack off. The NYT:

Shortly after winning a majority last year, Democrats triumphantly declared that they would put Congress back to work, promising an “end to the two-day workweek.” And indeed, the House has clocked more time in Washington this year than in any other session since 1995, when Republicans, newly in control, sought to make a similar point.

But 10 months into the session, with their legislative agenda often in gridlock with the Bush administration and a big election year looming, the Democrats are now planning a lighter schedule when the 110th Congress begins its second year in mid-January.

The House majority leader, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, told fellow Democrats this week that the House would not be in session next year on Fridays, except in June for work on appropriations bills.

Explaining that decision to reporters, Mr. Hoyer said, “I do intend to have more time for members to work in their districts and to be close to their families.”

His comments drew snickers from Republicans, who are quite happy to share their view that the American people did not get much value for all the extra time lawmakers spent in Washington.

[...]

Still, Democrats conceded that the hectic pace had taken a toll, especially on lawmakers who must travel long distances home and who have small children. And members of Congress have not gotten a raise or cost-of-living increase this year. [Awwwwwww - they have widdle children. Were they not aware of the demands of the job when they ran for office? Were their children not "little" then? And no raise or COL increase? How draconian! Why, Congress must look like the hull of a slave ship! - Drake]

[...]

[Representative Thaddeus G. McCotter, Republican of Michigan said ] changing the schedule was an example of Democrats’ breaking promises. “They said ‘five-day weeks,’ ” he said. And he scoffed at the notion that Mr. Hoyer was also responding to Republicans who wanted more time in their home districts.

[...]

Representative Debbie ~~Wasserman~~ Schultz, Democrat of Florida, said the Democrats had to put in the hours to make up for Republican failings last year. “There was so much left undone by the 12 years of Republican control of the Congress, it was absolutely essential that we put our nose to the grindstone,” [Bwa - ha - ha - ha! - Drake] she said.

Ms. ~~Wasserman~~ Schultz has three children, 8-year-old twins and a 4-year-old. “It’s tough,” she said in a telephone interview.

"It's tough"? Oh - poor, poor Debbie - what a shame. It sounds like she's not cut out for political life.

Nanny Pelosi, in December 2006, said, "Maybe it will take a woman to clean up the House."
Hmmmm - apparently she's not the right woman for the job.

Snippy in-fighting within Congress too, from The Politico:

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer appealed for the support of about 30 wavering Republican lawmakers.

[...]

The GOP lawmakers, all of whom had expressed interest in a bipartisan deal on the SCHIP legislation, were furious that the Democratic leader from Maryland had not reached out to them in a more serious way early on. They also criticized him and Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois for failing to stop his allies outside Congress from running attack ads in their districts, while they were discussing a bipartisan deal. [That's because this modus operandi is all DemocRATS know how to do. - Drake]

[...]

“They spent $1.5 million through their various shill outreach groups attacking me and a handful of my colleagues,” Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.) said before the Hoyer meeting, “but they did not spend five minutes to approach me to ask for my vote.”

[...]

Rank-and-file Democrats have turned on their leaders this fall in a series of minor upheavals, forcing them to suspend consideration of bills to update warrantless wiretapping laws, reclassify the killing of ethnic Armenians almost a century ago, expand workplace protections for gays and lesbians and require all electronic voting machines to produce paper records.

Republicans, meanwhile, have done everything in their power to slow the legislative apparatus with the few procedural tools available to them.

[...]

Democrats are reviewing poll after poll showing sagging popularity not only of Congress but also of their congressional leaders.

Really - what has the "new DemocRAT Majority" Congress done this year, other than up the minimum wage and sign onto a dozen or more pointless, non-binding resolutions that don't mean diddly squat?

The 110th Congress has addressed nothing and accomplished even less. Why, I thought the Dems were going to do the bidding of the Insane Liberal Clown Posse by cutting the funding for the war. Isn't that what they campaigned on? No wonder the Dem constituency is livid with their "leaders" - their "leaders" lied to them. Hilarious, simply hilarious.

Popular folklore tells us that Caligula appointed his horse, Incitatus, to the Roman Senate. I think we should replace all the Dems in Congress - except for Joe Lieberman - with horses. How much worse could it be?

©2007

Labels: Corrupt Democrats, Cowardly Liberals