Last week I happened to look up the House of Representatives Legislative Calendar for 2011. I have to admit, at first I thought I was not reading it correctly. It seemed to me that there were not an awful lot of work days on it. No, I must have been reading it wrong. It used to be, back in the days of the Democratic House, that you could turn on CSPAN most of the time and see members of one party or the other speaking. Granted, they were mostly talking to an empty house, but we knew at least one of them was working.
Monday, Rachel Maddow gave voice to my puzzlement:
Apparently, the big plan for the House GOP (and a couple of misfit Democrats) is to avoid doing anything that might make any of their constituents angry, which leaves abortion. So we will no doubt be seeing many more bills seeking to redefine rape and incest, and the boundary where a woman's body ends and a republican's nose begins.
Meanwhile, what to do to fill up the time? As I noted, and Rachel remarked, the bulk of the House calendar is to be filled with -- time off. BMOC Eric Cantor is pleased to inform us that there will be 123 days in session this year.
In House parlance, every third week or so has been termed a constituent work week. You know what those are: those are when you go home and visit with your constituents... on the golf course, mostly. Followed by a meeting at the country club over a drink or three, or more. And who do they meet with? Not me, and not likely you. They will meet with like-minded concerned citizens, those who have strong ideas about tax cuts and defunding entitlement programs (not corporate entitlement programs of course), and no doubt plans for implementing those ideas when they get back to work.
So I am inclined not to be angry about all this time off. I recall back in the 80's, observing Reagan's inclination to dose at a cabinet meeting, Arlo Guthrie said, "The more he sleeps, the safer we are."
But if they aren't going to sleep, golf is the next best thing.
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