Democratic Congressfolk Think They've Earned a Shorter Work Week

Let's just pretend I wrote the usual lines about hypocrisy and broken promises when it comes to Congressional Democrats' new plan to take Fridays off. (Lord knows, everyone else did.)

I'm more interested in this take on it:

The Democrats, by contrast, say that after 10 months of putting in longer days and weeks, they have made significant gains. They cited legislation, including an increase in the minimum wage and new ethics and lobbying rules, as well as in the nitty-gritty work of House committees, which they say has provided much-needed oversight of the Bush administration and will also set the stage for an ambitious agenda next year.

And they blame Mr. Bush and Republicans for Congress’s low approval ratings, which they say will only help the Democrats expand their majority in 2008.

Would those "significant gains" include the smoldering remains of the widely-backed-on-the-Left Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act? And would those be the loophole-ridden "new ethics and lobbying rules" which have led to more lobbyist-paid travel?

Does that "nitty-gritty" work in committee include the farce of a hearing on the Jena Six? Or perhaps the hearing in which rappers cussed about Congressional plans for mandatory labeling of offensive music?

Other failed promises (not that I'm complaining that they failed, I just like to rub it in) include "restoring" habeas corpus for combatant-detainees and the mother of all Democratic issues: ending the Iraq War.

On the issue of approval ratings, Democrats are forgetting such notably popular proposals as David Obey's War Tax and the recent antics of Pete Stark.

I must admit, I was upset when the Democrats took Congress. I haven't minded a bit that they've been an embarrassment from the very beginning. I guess they're right; they've earned a break.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 07:19 PM

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