Congress: Work and work hard

I have a friend who refers to Sen. Dick Durbin as Senator Press Conference. "He has one every day whether he needs one or not."

I mean to single him out and the balance of the Congressional leadership, Democratic and Republican, because there are a great many people hurting and losing jobs these days with many more to follow. Worry that job losses will come as quickly as water through a broken main.

I work for a living with a day beginning between 6 and 8 a.m. and the day ending between 7 and 9 p.m. Many people have this schedule and so, too, should Congress. Maybe Congress has this schedule, but before I believe I would want to see the clock cards.

If I had my druthers, I would lock the Capitol down and allow a couple of changes of clothes but nothing else until a deal is struck which actually helps the country (avoiding another Minnesota bridge collapse would be nice!) instead of one that smacks of demagoguery. They don't get a pass to leave for anything but a funeral or a birth.

Many of those who work outside of the political process have missed basketball games, swimming meets, soccer games and the like. So work, boys and girls, work. Your eyes need to be so red they burn; your fingernails need to be black with grease; and I hope you fear that demagoguery will cost you your job.

John Kloempken

Algonquin