Like most working Americans, I'll probably be working right up through Christmas Eve. And, like most, I'll be expected back at work on the following Monday.
Any time I take off aside from the days designated for Christmas and New Year's, I'll be expected to use my designated days off like any other vacation time.
I suspect that's also the way it will be for most Americans working this holiday season, which is why not only do Republican complaints about working around the holidays ring hollow — they actually show a disrespect for the average Americans who put them in office.
GOP Sens. Jon Kyl and Jim DeMint each have attacked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for suggesting that the Senate might keep working up until the new Congress begins in January.
Kyl went so far as to say that in doing so, Reid is disrespecting Christians.
If that's true, then so is every other business that keeps its doors open through this season — and such a suggestion is absurd!
Republicans like to tell people government should run more like a business. It seems that's only true when the rules don't apply to them.
This year, rather than play the part of Scrooge or the Grinch, Republicans like Kyl and DeMint sound more like the petulant, spoiled children who throw a tantrum when some extravagant gift they hoped for didn't make it under the tree because doing so just wasn't realistic.
Their sense of faux indignation is so insulting that it offended even fellow Republican-turned-TV-host Joe Scarborough, who took the senators to task last week on the air.
“To be sanctimonious and to use that is just — it is offensive, and the Republican Party has the upper hand in so many ways, in these areas they need to just shut their mouths, they're embarrassing themselves,” the former GOP congressman from Florida says.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Dave Nalle
Scott, you miss the real issue behind the objections to this holiday working session.
In the November election it was made very clear that the people wanted a substantial change in the composition of congress. It is distrspectful of the wishes of the people for the miscreants who they voted out to be allowed to continue to legislate up until the last minute, doing as much harm as they can before being dragged out of the houses of government.
That's the real concernhere.
Dve
2 - Scott Nance
Dave, the U.S. Constitution sets the end dates for the service of the President and members of Congress quite specifically. I would think you would want to be upholding its tenets.
However, even if the issue of post-election legislating was a real one, why are people like Kyl dragging Christmas and religion into it? Seems like an ignorant way of making the point, no?
3 - Dr Dreadful
The GOP plainly want Reid and the Democrats to have as little opportunity as possible of passing legislation before they take control of the Senate in the New Year, and I don't see why they can't just be candid about it.
And the Dems would gripe just as loudly if the boot was on the other foot.
4 - El Bicho
So these current whiners want to disrespect the people that put the miscreants in charge and did so in larger numbers in 2008? Too f'ing bad.
5 - Clavos
So these current whiners want to disrespect the people that put the miscreants in charge and did so in larger numbers in 2008?
I don't see how it's "disrespect." The people clearly changed their minds this year -- and with good reason.
6 - Baronius
Let's be honest - the current Congress was elected, and has every right to serve out its term doing its job. Of course, if they'd been doing their job the past two years then they wouldn't have put off nuclear disarmament, gays in the military, immigration, taxes, and the budget until the last minute.
7 - handyguy
Since Dave and Clavos agree with the DADT repeal [right?], and since the tax legislation was basically a Republican bill, what's all the complaining about? The omnibus spending bill was trashed, as you guys no doubt wanted. What other "harm" has been done?
If the Dream Act had been passed, it would have been a good thing. If health assistance for 9/11 responders passes, that's a good thing. Are you really upset about the Start treaty? [The McCain and Kyl objections are patently bogus.]
Face it, you just don't like to see Obama and the Dems get any credit. It rubs you the wrong way. Very Grinchy of you indeed.
8 - zingzing
"The people clearly changed their minds this year -- and with good reason."
well. "some" reason, at least. "the people" this time around included a lot of fox news zombies.
and look! baronius gets something right. of course, if they'd been doing their job, the republicans wouldn't have waited to stop being obstructionist jerks until they'd bullied their way back into office, but hey, it's politics in 2010. you shit in my shoe until it's my turn to shit in yours. sigh.
9 - Clavos
Yes, of course, handy. Next you'll be saying my only reason for opposing Obama is my racial prejudice...
Meh.
10 - handyguy
That's a meaningless cheap shot, Clav. If you object to the lame duck session, say which parts, that's all I meant. Most of what has been done you either agree with [DADT] or was primarily GOP policy [tax bill]. Instead of responding, you just blow a raspberry. Merry Christmas to you, too.
11 - zingzing
ah, clavos. conservatives really do get off on claiming they'll be called racists, don't they? i think you owe yourself an apology for that one. pull up your pants first.
12 - Mark
I took the Facial IAT over at Project Implicit. Found out that I, along with 80% of The Population, have a deep seated distrust of people with big ears. Y'all might take a look at their racial preference work. (See Gladwell's "blink for a discussion of this research.)
13 - Baronius
El B's complaint about the number of voters, and Zing's complaint about the quality of their thinking, are both more sour grapes. An election isn't invalid if only a few stupid people vote in it. The crop of newcomers have as much right to their seats as the guys who won in 2008.
14 - zingzing
"Zing's complaint about the quality of their thinking..."
our population is fed lies by the likes of fox. they are misinformed and grossly ignorant. and for what? freedom of speech, yes, yes, but they've created a segment of society that believes things that just aren't true. it's ridiculous and harmful to our democracy and our nation.
"An election isn't invalid if only a few stupid people vote in it."
only a few? sigh.
"The crop of newcomers have as much right to their seats as the guys who won in 2008."
somewhat unfortunately, that's true. wouldn't have it any other way, i guess.
15 - El Bicho
Sour grapes? What a dunce. The sour grapes are coming from the people complaining who lost in 2008 and apparently don't know how Congress works. I never said the election was invalid, but the crop of newcomers don't have any right to the seat until they are sworn in.
16 - Baronius
Well, El B, what other reason could you have for mentioning the lower turnout in 2010? We're all being babies on this thread. The people have spoken, and the politicians are following the rules.
BTW, Zing, my comment about a few dummies voting was meant to combine the complaint about the numbers and the complaint about the brains. I think every one of us can agree that at least 45% of the voters are stupid.
17 - Clavos
Perhaps mine was a "cheap shot," handy, but it was in response to this one:
Face it, you just don't like to see Obama and the Dems get any credit. It rubs you the wrong way. Very Grinchy of you indeed.
Merry christmas to you too, bub. As an atheist I don't celebrate it anyway.
"the people" this time around included a lot of fox news zombies.
Probably. Last I heard, listening to Fox doesn't get you disenfranchised and at least they offset all the progs.
I think every one of us can agree that at least 45% of the voters are stupid.
Nah. Just those who voted for the "other guys" -- whoever they are...
18 - roger nowosielski
The very idea of lame-duck Congress is ridiculous. The rascals should be thrown out the moment they're voted out, not a minute later. The entire concept more than amply demonstrates the farce that our political system has become. Procedural rules should give way to the will of the people, and the constitution amended.
19 - roger nowosielski
Oddly enough, beleaguered Obama accomplished more as lame-duck than during his first two years in office. Go figure.
Perhaps a doze of humility was what the dickhead wanted.
20 - Jordan Richardson
I just woke up from a doze of humility myself. The effects haven't set in yet.
21 - zingzing
clavos: "Last I heard, listening to Fox doesn't get you disenfranchised..."
true. somewhat sadly. but that's how it should be. an idiot can vote. do you really think that misinformation is a good thing? just to get votes your way? fox news viewers ARE misinformed. it's just how it is. do you want the misinformed deciding your future?
roger: "Obama accomplished more as lame-duck than during his first two years in office..."
not true. look it up. you'll see that he's done more in 2 years than clinton did in 8. and you'll see that he's done as much as any progressive/liberal/dem since johnson, and as much as fdr did in his first two years. you've been hoodwinked, roger.
obama, despite his challenges, has done a good deal of good for us. you're just too angry to see it. (although "he," or congress, has done a lot during the last few weeks, but that's because the election is over and memories are shorter than terms, you understand.)
22 - Baronius
Actually, the latest Pew Research study on the subject shows that Fox News viewers are about as well-informed as the average American, tied with CNN viewers.
23 - Jordan Richardson
That study is over two years old, Baronius.
24 - zingzing
the university of maryland study disagrees. (and is that "tied," or just slightly more misinformed?)
25 - Cindy
As is typical of 'studies', one is presumed to 'know' things based on the mere ability to spit out a few irrelevant and superficial details. That is like suggesting a person 'knows' history because she can spit out the dates of few battles.
The 'study' has a laughable design.