Today on the news we were treated to several senior congressional spokesmen declaring a) their outrage over the AIG and other bonuses paid for by bailout money, and b) their anger at being blamed for passing the law that allows the bonus payments noting they they, the congress, was deceived and pressured to pass the law with the amendment.
Congress's argument is sophomoric to the point of being simply dumb. They argue that some 535 congressmen were unable to understand the language and consequence of the law they passed. Now, if that's true then we have 535 really inept congressmen. While, I'd certainly grant that some, perhaps many, of our congressmen are not "the brightest bulb in the socket," there re a number of very capable congressmen in the 111th congress. So to argue that Congress understand is simply outrageous.
There were a few congressmen that noted that the bill was so complex and they were under such pressure to pass it that they didn't have time to study it. If that's the case them I am apparently suppose to believe that our able congress thinks it's OK to pass enormously expensive bailout bills that they don't understand/haven't studied/didn't read/etc. Now if that's true then there is, in my opinion, something fundamentally wrong with the way congress is organized and managed. Since our elected congressmen are responsible for organizing and managing Congress it follows that they are at best inept and at worst incompetent. That line of argument is, in my opinion, every bit as outrageous as the first.
The problem with today's noise out of congress is that that no matter who did what to whom, no matter where the finger of blame is pointed, ultimately Congress passed the bill. Ultimately Congress is responsible for the bill. Pointing the finger elsewhere is simply childish and right now the US needs an adult Congress not business as usual.
Just some common sense.
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