Congress Takes It's Break to Get Your Opinion on Health Care.... As If !

That Sound You're Hearing Is the Harlem Globetrotters' Theme ....

I'm sure you heard it all last week, when Democrats finally strongarmed the Blue Dogs into submission, that all the Congressmen were going to come home for the August Break and find out what we think about the plan. Not that they've even read it, but that's another story. Let's focus here....

For a job thatpays fulltime money, Congress doesn't spend a whole lot of time in DC. They only work about 150 days a year in session, which is about 100-150 days less than you and I work. They usually tell you that it's so they can go home to their respective districts, and update their constituents on what's up. Sounds right, but according to an article in TheHill.com today, a lot of them are going anywhere but home.

Many of them are called CODEL's - short for Congressional Delegation, which are overseas 'fact finding trips'. Among them are House Minority Leader John Boehner leading a CODEL to an unspecified location 'dealing with the economic crisis and homeland security', Reps. David Price and David Dreier are headed to a CODEL in Peru, and several Democrats on the Foreign Affairs Committee are going to Liberia, Ghana and Morocco to talk about trade issues. Lastly, House Majority leader Steny Hoyer and Minority Whip Eric Cantor will lead about 55 members on the House on two separate trips to Israel and the West Bank, on a trip sponsored by a non-profit group called American Israel Education Foundation. Of course, the tips are separated by party, which is stupid. maybe if they all went together, they'd get along a little better. Wait, that makes sense. Sorry, don't know what I was thinking there....

Now, maybe a lot of them are coming home... And maybe some of them are preparing tours to get our opinions on the upcoming Health Care bill. So far though, I haven't heard of anyone coming around. So much for being the eyes and ears of our people. Just like in 2005, when Spratt and Clyburn went on their disinformation tour so they could keep control of Social Security, they only get out to change your mind, not to get your opinion. The fact is, Congress doesn't really care what you think, only that you agree with them. Most people have serious questions about the new bill - questions that most Congressmen can't answer. So, don't expect that tour to be coming around this month.......

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