So, If Nancy Pelosi Is So Smart ...

For months we've been told about how sharp is our nation's newest and first female Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D) Wealthy CA. So, what is it in her genuinely Machiavellian political instincts that would compel the Speaker to combine these public relations would-be gems?

We already know the oh so eager to get to work for the children and the middle class Democrats took Monday off because of a football game that the majority of Americans managed to enjoy and still meet their real world work responsibilities.

WASHINGTON - If you heard about it at all, you heard right. Democrats in the House of Representatives, the same bunch that has been returned to majority power in Congress on a reform ticket, that has committed itself to an ambitious 100-hour agenda and whose majority leader has espoused the stern virtues of a five-day work week after scouring members of the last Congress who averaged only two working days a week - this same crew rolled up its sleeves and began its regime by taking Monday, Jan. 8, off for a football game.

Now, our Speaker is said to be running a clock on her website. But, well, it's not really a clock, you see ... it's, well, think of it as sort of a San Fran Nanny clock, for lack of a better phrase:

So while the House has been in session for almost 48 hours since the 110th Congress was sworn in Jan. 4, the clock on Pelosi's Web site says only 17 hours 48 minutes have elapsed.

"We're just counting the legislative hours," Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill explained.

A Day off? Nancy-time as opposed to real time? ... and all while the Nation is debating sending thousands more of our young off to risk their lives in a disturbing war against terrorist in Iraq.

Don't worry America, Help is on the way. Pardon us if we can't get to it in real time. In the new Democrat controlled Congress, Nancy time is going to hold sway. When the allegedly middle class party of America is so dangerously out of touch with the values and realities that make that middle class so great, I fear the outcome can't be good.

But, don't worry. Given their limited amount of actual work time ... how much damage can they really do in just two short years?

Comments

[Carl]

Meanwhile your 'leader' is at 32% in the new AP poll. You sheep are laughable.

[Bryce]

Carl:

It amazes me that almost a third of the country still thinks Bush is doing a good job, it is a pretty sad commentary on America

[Darth Malice]

Hey looks Starkist can keep wages low.....Thank You Nancy-Love Big Business

[susan]

Dems have already done more than the repubs did!! They passed minmum wage, ethics reform and my personal favorite STEM CELLS!!!! Arlen Spector had a presser Tuesday with some Dems and said they have a VETO-PROOF mjority to override Bush!! They've got 67 votes in the bag. If that's all Dems do, it's worth getting rid of Republicans just for the increased funding for stem cells. Welcome back to th real world American, the faith over fact crowd is becoming more and more irrelavent every day!!!Go Dems!!!!

[Carl]

Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell is threatening a filibuster on a non-binding resolution. Either he's a moron or thinking that it will play well with the toothless crowd back home.

[bryce]

Repubs really are masters at meaningless sybolic gestures, like fillibustering non-binding resolutions. Too bad the suck at governing.

[Jon G]

If you want to talk about time off, let's talk about George Bush. I think he holds the record for vacation time while president. Off course, you can argue that's a good thing, the less time he spends actually making policy, the better off we all are.

You may remember Katrina, when the president was on vacation in Crawford and couldn't be bothered to actually go to New Orleans and try to do something. He did fly over though - you may remember the picture.

From 2005:

The president departed Tuesday for his longest stretch yet away from the White House, arriving at his Crawford ranch in the evening for a stretch of clearing brush, visiting with family and friends, and tending to some outside-the-Beltway politics. By historical standards, it is the longest presidential retreat in at least 36 years.

From 2003:

According to an August 2003 article in the Washington Post, President Bush has spent all or part of 166 days during his presidency at his Crawford, Texas, ranch or en route. Add the time spent at or en route to the presidential retreat of Camp David and at the Bush family estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, and Bush has taken 250 days off as of August 2003. That's 27% of his presidency spent on vacation.

[S. Weasel]

I don't think I've ever dabbled in the comments here before. Is it always such a hippie swarm?

[Purple Avenger]

"Repubs really are masters at meaningless sybolic gestures, like fillibustering non-binding resolutions. "

Democrats really are masters at meaningless symbolic gestures, like introducing non-binding resolutions.

[bryce]

PA:

Good point

[Jon G]

The Repubs threatening to filibuster, kinda ironic ain't it?

What goes around comes around:

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Nearly four years after it authorized the use of force in Iraq, the House today will embark on its first extended debate on the war, with Republican leaders daring Democrats to vote against a nonbinding resolution to hold firm on Iraq and the war on terrorism.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/14/AR2006061402180.html

*********
Sen. Norm Coleman, a Republican from Minnesota, said his nonbinding resolution would protect the Internet from a takeover by the United Nations that's scheduled to be discussed at a summit in Tunisia next month.

http://news.com.com/Senator+Keep+U.N.+away+from+the+Internet/2100-1028_3-5900690.html

*********
Republican Sens. Lamar Alexander, Majority Leader Bill Frist, both from Tennessee, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, and Pat Roberts of Kansas submitted a nonbinding resolution on the Senate floor last week that said the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance "should be recited or sung in English."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1911431&page=1

*********
Etc

[Phoenix]

PA - :)

[Phoenix]

Meanwhile your 'leader' is at 32% in the new AP poll. You sheep are laughable.

Posted by: Carl | Friday, January 12, 2007 at 09:36 AM

I wonder how laughable we 'sheep' would be if the contents of Berger's theft were made known. Sooo i n t e r e s t i n g....

[Carl]

The Berger theft? What does that have to do with anything? Maybe it would be as interesting as the minutes of Cheney's meeting with the heads of the big oil. In any case, stay the course, complete the mission and mission accomplished.

[Purple Avenger]

"The Berger theft? What does that have to do with anything?"

Just a wild guess -- national security?

[Dan Riehl]

national security?

You're talikng to a Lib there, PA. I don't think they know what those words mean.

[larry]

"national security"?? what does that have to do with anything??

what REALLY matters is raising the minimum wage; helping the po. (except in samoa.)