GOP leadership bristles at five-day Capitol Hill work week

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/GOP_leadership_bristles_at_fiveday_Capitol_0122.html

During a Friday morning debate on the floor of the House of Representatives, the Republican leadership complained that the five-day work week imposed by the new majority was unnecessary and created problems for Members of Congress. But House Democrats are holding firm and plan to continue the current schedule.

Speaking for the House Republican leadership, Roy Blunt, the Republican Whip, complained during the floor debate that the five-day work week was making life harder for Members of Congress from both parties. He also described the schedule as "a disservice to the institution," because "It is like assuming that a surgeon only does the surgeon's work when they are in the operating room."

In an e-mail response to RAW STORY, a Democratic Leadership aide stated unequivocally that no changes to the five-day work schedule were planned.

Blunt complained about the tone of discussions regarding the longer work week dictated by House Democrats, saying that "the majority has had the better of this argument so far because it is a lot of fun to talk about Members of Congress that don't work." He also mentioned that "The late night comedians love the idea that Congress was suddenly going to work 5 days a week."

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[TechBear_Seattle]

1. WAAAAAAAAAAA!

As a computer programmer, I consider myself lucky if I only have to work 5 days a week.

[Rude Horner]

2. So is he saying that surgeon's operate

outside the operating room? Hmmmm...maybe Bill Frist does, but I don't know about any others. :)

[Kber]

7. He's saying that surgeons do other things besides operate

like fund raising and media events.

or something.

[marmar]

3. Isn't this the same party that demands that everybody on the public assistance get a job?

They, too, are on the public doll, and they can't work five days a week? Has there EVER been a group as hypocrtical as today's Republican Party?

[CottonBear]

5. The level of their hypocrisy is almost unbelievable.

Just when you think that they can't be worse, they are.

What whiny ass pieces of shit they are. :grr:

[zbdent]

15. Along with being compensated for working extra hours, double shifts,

amazing numbers of hours a week (at minimum wage or less), not being compensated by overtime pay, but by COMP TIME, which they would have to use within a certain amount of time (which they would not be able to take, because they constantly have to work just to keep up ... "efficiency", you know) ...

[CottonBear]

4. Remember when Bush* said it was so "American" to work three jobs

when he met s single mom who was working three jobs at a town hall meeting.
:grr:

Apparently, the GOP congressmen, are not very "American."

[lpbk2713]

*You mean we're supposed to meet with Abramoff's pals on our own time?!*

"Outrageous!!"




If they don't like the working conditions, maybe they ought to find a different line of work. :eyes:

[havocmom]

6. Cuts into time for fundraisers and glad-handing fat cats.

Sure there is work to be done off the floor... but they weren't doing that either when they had control.

Now they have to raise funds on their own time and WORK FOR A LIVING. Poor babies. If it's too tough, get out of public SERVICE!

And some more fiddlers from me too
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[eleny]

8. Pass out the cheese - the Rats are whining

[TechBear_Seattle]

18. What kind of cheese goes with a Republican whine?

I'm inclined to say one of those very stinky German cheeses.

(Insert smiley with a clothespin on his nose, looking a tad nauseated.)

[eleny]

20. Hmmmm....

Sheep?
Brillo?
Crowley Sharp?.....

Anything but Royal Blue!

[TechBear_Seattle]

21. I was thinking Rush Limburger

Brillo Reilly would work (doesn't brillo mean "drunk"?)

[eleny]

22. I don't know. Mabe it's an Italian wine cheese

[seemunkee]

9. He can always resign if he doesn't like it.

You know like those minimum wager workers who complain. They can always quit and find something better.

[charlie]

10. And what a workweek!

They're expected to show no later than 6:30PM on Mondays for votes and business wraps up by 2:00PM on Fridays.

Such is life under heartless Dem taskmasters. Weep for them.

[northzax]

11. now, to be perfectly fair

they have a point. not much of one, and they don't articulate it well, but a point nonetheless. it is, actually, unfair to those who live farther from Washington can't get home as easily on a two day weekend to do things like talk to constituents and the like. And if I thought that was really what they were going to be doing, I'd appreciate the problem.

Think, for a minute, that you live in say, Baker, Oregon. You think you are ever going to see your congressman while congress is in session if he's in DC five days a week? unlikely.

[cynatnite]

13. Understand your point, but...

I want my congressman working just like most everyone else has to. We've got emails, phones and faxes so we can be in contact with our congressman.

Remember bush was saying the same thing when he was in Crawford and on vacation?

[Democrat 4 Ever]

16. Didn't the Oregonian Congress Critters know that DC was located across

the country from their home state when they ran for office? Of course, they did.

With those telephony thingys, emails and the "internets," web cams, satellites, U. S. Post Office and such, our Congress people have more access to meet and talk with their constituents than every before. Their thinking is so pre-11/7 - this ain't your Chucklenuts' Congress anymore.

They can hear from the voters without having to haul their ass on a private jet and head off to Cancun, I mean home, every damn weekend. To use the excuse they have to go home every weekend as a reason NOT TO WORK at their office is beyond the pale. Debate and legislating takes place in DC. If this is too much of a hardship I say resign and go home. There are plenty of people who will do your job for you.

[RamboLiberal]

17. Give me a break - they take off most of August

probably most of December, plus other breaks. Meet your constituents then. Fly home once a month and meet on weekend, not that big a hardship.

[Kokonoe]

12. The experts on c-span claim the democrats still haven't worked

a 5 day work week and don't know if they really ever will. ??:crazy:??

[ellenfl]

14. speaker pelosi needs to let the repugs set their own hours.

then schedule the important votes on mondays and fridays. i am sure the dems can do ok without ALL the house members in attendance. :evilgrin:

i would also be in favor of supplying a bus (express, of course), at taxpayer expense, for the repug congress-critters to go home every weekend. :evilgrin:

ellen fl

[KansDem]

19. Will CorpMedia report this?

And how often and for how long will they report this story?

Remember the "Democratic voters seek counseling" stories after the 2004 election? Made Dems out to be weak and unable to cope with reality.

I'd be surprised if CorpMedia reports this story just once!

[Cobalt Violet]

23. Working 5 days a week is hard!

If they don't like it they can quit. Fucking whinning idiots. :rofl::nopity: :rofl::nopity::rofl::nopity::rofl::nopity::rofl::nopity::rofl::nopity: