Why We hate Congress

Venezuela is putting the screws to Exxon Mobil and threatening to stop oil exports to the US altogether, China and Russia are sabre rattling, Iran has just reached two milestones on the road to making long-range nuclear weapons, we may be headed for a recession, and what is Congress doing?

Well, at least the Senate finally got around to passing a decent reauthorization of the FISA bill. This now leaves Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Arlen Sphincter, er, Specter, more time to investigate the great and pressing matter of the Patriots (the football team, not the companies who helped us out with critical data after 9/11) spying on the New York Jets. Certainly the issue of one team taping an opposing team’s defensive signals is far more important business than judicial nominations and the large number of vacant federal judgeships.

Now that the Senate has passed out the FISA reauthorization, is the house working on reconciliation? After thirty years are they finally working on a comprehensive energy policy with the goal of energy independence? Are they addressing the runaway spending that’s contributed to the potential recession and led to the recent fire sale of American companies to foreign interests?

Not surprisingly they are not doing any of the above.

Just when I thought I’d never have to see the ridiculous, farcical spectacle of baseball players being hauled before the house and quizzed about steroid use, Roger Clemens and his former trainer were hauled before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Can someone please explain to me what Baseball has to do with Oversight and Government Reform? Can someone please explain to me exactly how these hearings are in our national interest, how they are more important than any of the other issues the committee should be working on? If there is a bigger waste of congressional time and resources, I can’t imagine what it would be, but I’m sadly sure I’ll find out soon.