Monday, October 01, 2007

U. S. Senate in the Toilet

If Republicans follow through on their threats, some time this month six United States Senators will gather in a hearing room to study and debate urgent questions about a men’s room stall in the Minneapolis-St. Paul air terminal.

Ending the war in Iraq, starting one in Iran and health care for poor children will have to wait while the Senate Ethics Committee considers charges against Larry Craig, brought by the Republican leadership to embarrass him into resigning his seat, as he had promised to by the end of September but now shows no sign of doing.

Senators would publicly examine such weighty matters as the original allegation against Craig of "interference with privacy" for peeping into the stall occupied by an undercover police officer as well as witnesses and documents.

The committee could also spend time looking for "a pattern of conduct" by combing court records elsewhere to find out if Craig has had prior arrests.

To unsophisticated taxpayers, this may look like burning down the barn to get rid of a field mouse, but Senate leaders will do anything to keep the place squeaky clean.

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