Why Americans Increasingly Hate Politics, "Democratic Idol" Edition

Last September, Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) laid down the law to her staff when it came to showing up at a god-awful fundraiser called "Democratic Idol," which featured lawmakers as performers and judges. From Roll Call:

"All staff are required to attend Ms. Richardson's event," said an email sent by the Congresswoman's chief of staff from her official House account. "Bring spouses and tell interns they have to be there as well."

"The Congresswoman is asking all staff that has one to wear their staff shirt to tomorrow's event so we can be visible and easily identified," said a second email sent the night before the event. The shirts in question were emblazoned with "California's 37th Congressional District" on the chest and had the official House of Representatives logo.

Besides being a crime against humanity in the international court of public opinion, Richardson's commands "appear to reveal an improper use of official government resources for re-election and campaign events that may run afoul of Congressional ethics rules or federal laws, legal experts told Roll Call."

Whole thing here.

I wasn't able to find out what song Richardson did at Democratic Idol (please send along, esp. if there's vid!) but I figured I'd play an awful song. Here's David Bowie's theme from Cat People, "Putting Out the Fire."

Comments

[Old Mexican]

That's Rep. Richardson??? I thought it was a picture of Charley Rangel, in drag!

[Old Mexican]

Charlie, not "Charley." Sorry, Charlie.

[squishua]

I thought the pic was a fire department recruitment poster for women with Downs syndrome.

[John]

Hyper liberal politicians always seem to be unpleasent people. Some conservatives are, see Newt. But all far left liberals politicians seem to be.

[Aresen]

I wasn't able to find out what song Richardson did at Democratic Idol (please send along, esp. if there's vid!)...

I believe playing it would come under "Crimes Against Humanity".

[Colin]

That's my congresswoman!

If only that were the worst thing she's ever done. In fact, she's gives new meaning to the word "kleptocrat."

Of course, even if she were arrested, she'd easily get reelected.

[John]

First Rep. Laura Richardson was having problems making house payments, defaulting six times over eight years.

Then after a bank foreclosed on her Sacramento house and sold it at auction in May, the Long Beach Democrat made such a stink that Washington Mutual, in an unusual move, grabbed it back and returned it to her.

This week, in the latest chapter in the housing saga, the Code Enforcement Department in Sacramento declared her home a "public nuisance." The city has threatened to fine her as much as $5,000 a month if she doesn't fix it up.

Neighbors in the upper-middle-class neighborhood complain that the sprinklers are never turned on and the grass and plants are dead or dying. The gate is broken, and windows are covered with brown paper.

"I would call it an eyesore," said Peter Thomsen, a retired bank executive who lives nearby.

The city action was prompted by police action. Police were twice called to investigate reports of a suspicious person in or around the house, perhaps a homeless man squatting there. Officers called the Code Enforcement Department, which boarded up a broken door.

http://articles.latimes.com/20.....chardson15

Rules are for little people

[Spartacus]

Grow house.

[Pro Libertate]

Bitch set me up!

[DDT]

I actually like that david bowie song. Especially in Inglorious Basterds.

[Amakudari]

This.

[AlmightyJB]

Great movie, didn't remember the song though. Someone should tell Bowie that gasoline is flammable so he doesn't hurt himself if there's ever a fire.

[Quetzalcoatl]

This +10

[P Brooks]

If only she would stick to banging a tambourine on streetcorners for spare change and leave the rest of us alone.

[Koan]

The voters in her district keep reelecting her. They deserve what they get.

[MP]

Why Americans Increasingly Hate Politics

How much more hate can we have? I guess a 0% approval rating is the final hate threshold.

[P Brooks]

They deserve what they get.

Unfortunately, we get it, too.

[Koan]

Richardson may be a reprobate, but so are the vast majority of the 535 federal creatures that represent us. So, we all get what we deserve. We are just too damn lazy to change anything - and when we finally get the urge to march in the streets, it will be too late. Hell, it already is too late.

[West Texas]

There is a local talk show host here in Houston who likes to point out that "having one gerrymandered Sheila Jackson Lee district is a fair price to pay for three or four reliably sane districts around hers."

That explanation makes sense to me but I wonder what California's excuse is?

[JD]

I just got gerrymandered into Jackson-Lee's district with the final redistricting bill. I'm considering moving--I'm not sure I can handle the shame.

[Pro Libertate]

Any given year, we should see 50+ seats taken away or resigned due to improprieties. We all know that's true, yet we sit here and tolerate increasing corruption, abuse of power, and the growth of an aristocracy of dumb.

[John]

They are all idiots and awful people generally. At best they are sort of nonentities who got where they are by telling people what they wanted to hear. At worst they are dangerous sociopaths.

[Pro Libertate]

It's like we go and pick a used car salesman and give him virtually unlimited power over our lives and our pocketbooks. And my analogy is weak, because the venality of the used car salesman pales when compared to the average politician.

[P Brooks]

the venality of the used car salesman pales when compared to the average politician.

He stops being interested in you the second you drive off the lot. He doesn't come to your house to see if you wash the damn thing every Saturday. Or look in your refrigerator to see if you have more beer than orange juice.

[Pro Libertate]

That's not a difference, as we're always on the politician's "lot."

[Maxwell]

I wasn't aware this country still had election laws

[Quetzalcoatl]

LEAVE BOWIE ALOOOOOOONE!

[AMB]

I just wanted to make a quick plug for the excellent Gosling cover of the above-embedded tune:

http://grooveshark.com/s/Cat+P.....46sj?src=5

[david r.]

Thanks for the Bowie song. Danzig does an awesome metal cover of "Cat People" as well.

[scarpe Nike Store]

is good