Sad-Sack Congresscritters Hate Themselves Almost As Much As Everyone Else Hates Them

What does one do when one learns that one is -- how shall I put this? Universally hated? Despised beyond measure by everyone? Faced on a daily basis with a public that would cheer the sight of you and all you colleagues stripped naked and horsewhipped the length of Pennsylvania Avenue? Well, if you are the U.S. Congress -- currently holding strong at a 9 percent approval rating in a world where I'm guessing that at least five percent of the public would allow themselves to have a pig's bladder full of live wasps thrown at their face at least once, just to try it -- you could decide that you are going to start doing the opposite of whatever it is you're doing now.

But why make an effort when you can just make a bunch of glum jokes about it, instead? Via Politico:

Sen. Lindsey Graham is so embarrassed about the 9 percent approval rating -- released Tuesday night in a New York Times/CBS poll -- that he's going incognito.

"It's so bad sometimes I tell people I'm a lawyer," the South Carolina Republican told POLITICO on Wednesday. "I don't want to be associated with a body that in the eyes of your fellow citizens seems to be dysfunctional. It matters to me."

"We're below sharks and contract killers," added freshman Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.).

Yesterday, Sen. John McCain was sounding a similar refrain, joking on Twitter that the 9% approval ratings meant that they were "down to paid staffers and blood relatives." How similar a refrain was it? So similar that Daily Intel's Dan Amira found 26 examples of McCain making this joke, dating back to May of 2006.

Seems to me that round about the seventeenth time you've joked about how incapable you are of doing anything that people don't hate, it sort of becomes incumbent on you to try to do something about it. And since none of these guys want to resign, today -- which is an option! -- I'm going to generously assume that they actually want to work within the system to improve the way their institution is viewed by the public.

Graham himself seems to suggest that such a path is open:

While Obama has shaped the early part of his presidential campaign around attacking a dysfunctional Congress, his approval numbers aren't great either, sitting at a glum 46 percent, with 38 percent approving of his handling of the economy.

But 38 percent believe Obama has a clear plan for job creation, compared to just 20 percent for Hill Republicans.

Compared to Congress, "he's a rock star," Graham declared.

[...]

"There's always been a healthy disdain for political institutions," Graham said. "But when it becomes unhealthy is when 91 percent of the country believes that the Congress is detached from reality."

I've been taking the pulse of the public for a long time, and I can state pretty definitively that the reason why "91 percent of the country believes that the Congress is detached from reality" is because that's precisely the way Congress behaves. For years, in poll after poll, the public has been sending Congress a strong message, as pure as a toot from Gabriel's horn: "We want you to focus on unemployment. We do not share your obsession with the federal deficit. Stop working on that! You hear me? Wait -- hold on...what are you doing? You're threatening to not raise the debt ceiling, and plunge the global economy into default? Have you guys lost your everloving minds? Listen here, you..."

And the rest of that is basically unprintable. But here we have this jobs plan that voters and economists seem to like -- and it's just sitting there. That alone makes the president look like a "rock star," in comparison to all of the glum Congresscritters trying to mine some sympathy in this race-to-the-gallows comedy competition.

Lindsey, listen to me. I know that many of your colleagues see the American Jobs Act as something that's intended as a cheap, election year wedge-gimmick. Brother, I can get cynical with the best of them. I'm not going to call you insane for thinking that it's been offered up for no other reason than to paint you guys in the worst possible light come 2012.

Here's what I don't understand -- why haven't you called its bluff? If the White House's jobs plan proves to be junk, everyone's going to blame the White House. If it proves to be effective, you get to share in the victory. Either way, you get to defuse the criticism that y'all are a bunch of dyed-in-the-wool obstructionists, which has sort of been your cynical game over the past year. Let's face it: when Obama said that he couldn't run against a do-nothing Congress if Congress actually managed to do something, he sort of gave away the game.

This is just an idea I had. If you can do better, by all means, have at it, Mr. 9%.

READ THE WHOLE THING:
Even Congress hates Congress [Politico]

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Comments

[GUITFIDDEL]

10:37 PM on 11/24/2011

Sad-Sack Congresscritters= Majority in Congress= Tea Party Republican= Koch Brother-Grover Norquist BUTT KISSERS.

[wzerria]

05:47 PM on 11/10/2011

rgdfg

[fortressfountain]

02:31 PM on 11/02/2011

People are tired of the politicans and wall street ripping the people off and all reform bills are nothing but a bare minimum. The politicans, banks and corporations look for more loop-holes to enrich themselves.
One example is a lot of handouts by the non-profits so the politicans can travel the globe in style. These kinds of gifts do not count as other kinds of gifts.
Uncertainity my ***! They just do not want people working and want to complain about entitlements because people are not running up huge debts to enrich the corporations and politicans.

[CarmanK]

02:17 PM on 11/01/2011

there is no shame in the TPARTY/GOP either in or out of congress. Those leeches are taking salaries from taxpayers and doing nothing. If they were in business, they would be FIRED for being unproductive and insubordinate. There is no excuse for their conduct. There is no justification for their malicious attempts to harm the economy and the american people in order to achieve political goals. POX on them. PS those repug hypocrites talk about the existance of a GOD, but they really don't believe in a just GOD, because they would not do what they are doing. they really don't believe in GOd, so they don't believe in the US constitution. They took their pledge to Grover NOrquist and hold it more sacred than that to the people.

[dimplesmile7]

12:54 PM on 11/01/2011

All salaries should be eliminated until real work is done in Washington, DC. These folks are not earning their incomes, they are stealing it.

[stratego]

05:38 PM on 10/31/2011

The GOP congressmen were bought for short term at outstanding sums.
They're there to take down the government from the inside and they have been largely successful.
Many do not care whether they serve another term.
They are not career politicians, individuals who devoted their lifetime to public service.
They despise public servants and don't believe in the nobility of their post.
They were paid to create a circus out of what used to be our cherished democracy.
They were paid to leave a void in government that could only be filled by complete corporate control in their new "free economy," a creation of underpaid laborers ruled by white corporate giants.
They want unbridled capitalism, and the freedom to pillage our environment for their titans wealth, and their own.
They believe they are ordained by God, the Founding Fathers, and the newly written Heritage Foundation Bible for Profit and espouse it is the natural order of things for some people to be subservient to others, and natural that a profit should be made off of those not created as equals to the elite few.
That is why when people ask questions about jobs, they have no answers.
They lied to get elected.
They will use voter suppression to win the next election. The impact on voting rights will be huge and they know it.
They believe they will win this war because they, as the superior beings, are ordained by God to win.

[fortressfountain]

04:20 PM on 10/31/2011

Is that Lindsey Gramm crying? Maybe he is shedding tears because he helped 2 other republican congressmen shred the Glass Stegal Act( not just the dims caused the housing crisis).
Or is it because he feels the country is in danger if they cut defense spending- us or the defense contractors?

[lambdin1]

10:50 AM on 10/29/2011

The self serving lamenting done by Repulican/Tea Pary congress members is only one reason that we hate them. Put them out of office and let the lament and figure out why they are "lower than sharks and contract killers." I of course would not put sharks and contract killers at the same level. Now whale manure is about the right level!

[PureReason]

10:34 AM on 10/29/2011

No more pay raises for these clowns until they get their act together.... They worked anywhere else they'd be out of a job. It unfortunate that everyone seems to think the rep they voted for is doing an OK job.. when none of them really are.

[nothingchanges]

10:26 AM on 10/29/2011

The old saying is that "Misery loves company".

I guess our "miserable" congresspeople, find a need to make us feel as badly as they do?

Not sure if that's possible, seeing as how they are making $174,000 a year in salary for NOT doing their jobs, when so many honest hard working Americans, have lost theirs.

Through no fault of their own, I might add, but due to actions, and inaction's, by Congress.

If money can't buy happiness, why were we sold out?

[stratego]

04:45 PM on 10/31/2011

Very good question. Somewhere someone's money bought them happiness, and I think it was the Kochs.

[Sammmo]

09:59 AM on 10/29/2011

Lindsey Graham is a joke...he even said last week we should stay in Iraq and rebuild tha country! I could hardly believe that he said such a thing, but then he is a republican. That is how far out of touch these congresspeople are from America's real world and the problems we face..Good grief! What a bunch of frigging jokes.

[gumbo1049]

09:39 AM on 10/29/2011

American Corruption.

[ronp121]

08:58 AM on 10/29/2011

This is why the OWS are protesting in front of the banks and wall street. With public officials being bought and paid for going to Washington DC would be like going to the parking lot of GM and complaining about the Lemon you just bought. Employees can't do much about it. Corporate Headquarters is the place to go. Let Cain go stand in front of the White House that with any luck that will be as close as he gets to it.

[lambdin1]

10:58 AM on 10/29/2011

Republican/Tea Party members are part of the problem. As plutocrats feed them, they will never understand. As with the "news" media, another enity controlled by the corporations and plutocrats, they do not understand either. Go cry in your own tea, Republican/Tea Party you've done this to yourselves!

[filo]

08:35 AM on 10/29/2011

shame: noun
1.the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another: She was overcome with shame.
2.susceptibility to this feeling: to be without shame.
3.disgrace; ignominy: His actions brought shame upon his parents.
4.a fact or circumstance bringing disgrace or regret: The bankruptcy of the business was a shame. It was a shame you couldn't come with us.

I thought I would post that for Repubs since they don't know the meaning of the word.

[Edward Standley]

06:30 AM on 10/29/2011

Congress is incapable of performing work. They believe they're the "elite", but I would love to see them try my kid's fast-food job for a week. I truly believe they would be fired.