What a spectacle in the Senate yesterday. We have an 85 year old senator from Alaska, Ted Stevens, who's been there for 40 years (it is indicative of how hard the work in the Senate is that all these octogenarians can do it). He spent most of his career raiding the Treasury to secure pork projects for his home state. Not only that, but he's now a convicted felon. But instead of sitting in jail, he gets to give a farewell address in Washington. To makes things more ridiculous, all these good old boy senators are there blubbering and giving him a standing ovation. Unbelievable.
Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell, said that no senator "in the history of the US Senate did more for his state than Senator Ted Stevens."
As he spoke, 91-year-old Democratic Senator Robert Byrd, shouted from his wheelchair "That's right, that's right."
There are so many things about that excerpt that make me just shake my head in incredulity.
Ted Stevens is a prime example of why Congressional term limits would be one of the best improvements to the government we could make. Not that we ever will, since Congress will never do that to itself.
ReplyDeleteShame is so anachronistic! Give me the old days.
ReplyDeletei can't do anything but shake my head and laugh.
ReplyDeletereally????
Interesting that you would site what Byrd and McConnell said about a man who was their friend for years and years. A man who, despite party differences they had a friendship with.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, it was the REPUBLICAN Senator who was leaving disgrace and shame. While Byrd and McConnell are still there and enacting legislation without taking bribes and being corrupt.
The problem with Stevens was the unabashed way he milked the taxpayers (along with the crime, of course). Since Byrd is his equal in the pork department, its no surprise he thinks Stevens is great. These two are also primes examples of people way too old to be senators.
ReplyDelete