Ever wonder why Congress just cannot seem to grasp things which are obvious to you and me? I do not mean just one party or the other, but Congress’ long-standing tradition of being clueless about what America needs and wants. Every so often, folks get fed up and chuck out most of Congress – sorry Mister Obama, but “Change” was a campaign theme long before you ever started using the word – but the new crop never seems to be much better than the one they replace. I can try to explain that condition by noting a real-world case.
Without mentioning the specific company, because it’s actually a pretty common occurrence anyway, my wife works for a dishonest moron. I say this not only because I have a strong dislike for anyone who insults someone’s race on a regular basis, particularly when they are harassing my wife, but because those two characteristics, corruption and stupidity, are annoyingly common in some places. This branch manager is costing his company money, but they hired him because they wanted cheap, and so they are also too cheap to hire proper auditors to see who’s a top performer, and who’s trying to steal them blind. He’s good at selling a line to his own boss, so he manages to keep a job he could not do properly on his best day. Well folks, this guy will never be a winner in business, but he’s a good representation for the average Congressman.
Let’s have a look at the resumes of the top dogs in the House and Senate, shall we?
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi – born 1940, graduated Trinity College 1962. Intern to Senator Brewster, then moved to New York as a housewife, then to San Francisco, where she was elected to City Council and the County Board of Supervisors, in 1969. Won special election to Congress in 1987 (was protégé of outgoing Rep. Sala). Re-elected 10 times. House Minority Whip 2001, House Minority leader 2002, Speaker of the House 2007-date.
House Minority Leader, John Boehner - born 1949, graduated Xavier University 1977. Salesman, later President of Nucite Sales. Elected Union Township trustee 1982, Ohio State Legislature 1984. Elected to Congress, 1990. House Republican Conference Chairman, 1995. House Majority Leader, 2006. House Minority Leader, 2007-date.
Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid - born 1939, graduated Utah State, 1962. J.D. George Washington University, 1964. Elected Nevada State Assembly, 1967. Elected Lt. Governor, 1970. Chairman, Nevada Gaming Commission, 1977. Elected to Congress, 1982. Elected to the U.S. Senate, 1986. Senate Democratic Whip, 1999. Senate Minority Leader, 2005. Senate Majority Leader, 2007-date.
Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell - born 1942, graduated University of Louisville 1964, J.D. University of Kentucky 1967. Six months active service U.S. Army Reserve, 1967. Intern to Senator Cooper 1968. Assistant to Senator Cook, then Deputy Assistant Attorney General U.S. 1975. Elected Jefferson County Judge/Executive 1978. Elected to the U.S. Senate, 1984. Majority Whip, 2004. Senate Minority Leader, 2007-date.
There you go, folks, the top four people who make the laws governing more things in your life than even the President or the Supreme Court. How you get paid, how you pay taxes, how much of each, how you are protected (or not) from those forces and those people who would hurt you and your family, and so on. Only one of the four ever held a job in the real world, and that long ago and only for a short while. Is it really surprising, then, that the peope in the House and Senate are so incapable of comprehending what folks really need, much less care about making it a priority in their office? Sure, these people have aides and staff, most of whom are also political mandarins, hoping for their own eventual election to office on a resume which has no real work experience. I am sure they mean well, but they really have no skills relevant to making things work. They know how to take your money, they know how to make speeches, and they know how to point fingers. But they can only be counted to put their self-interest first, and to make mistakes as they blunder along. Just something to think about.
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Although this is just politics as usual (unqualified rich people running the country), I couldn't agree with you more. It makes me cringe that Pelosi, a housewife and career politician, is at the table helping to orchestrate multi-billion dollar bailouts. She is clearly a skilled politician, which has enabled her to negotiate and dance her way around Washington politics, but jeezus - she's *never* held a job outside politics. She isn't qualified (if we define qualified as having a proven one's self at something) to clenaup after the circus elephants.
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