Congress Wants More Private Jets

This is one of many reasons the American Congress consistently has such low approval ratings:

Several Republicans and some Democrats are coming out against the recent padding of an order for planes that would ferry members of Congress.

The Wall Street Journal said Monday that the $550 million plan would purchase eight Boeing and Gulfstream jets to replace aging planes currently in use.

The newspaper said the Obama administration had planned to buy four planes at a cost of $220 million; however some House lawmakers bumped the order up to eight planes even though the Pentagon contends it doesn't need that many...

"It is evidence that some of the cynicism about Washington is well placed," said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., "People get out of touch and they spend money like it is Monopoly money."

This is obviously a bipartisan problem endemic to both sides of the political aisle. These people do not live in the same reality as you and I. Governance has become so much about the free perks and fringe benefits these self-important individuals can manage to wrangle for themselves from the system, it's no wonder they can't come together on a viable health care reform plan. Letting them vote on giving themselves raises is bad enough but nonchalantly doubling the number of private jets they can have is absolutely beyond the pale. If the Democrats lose ground in 2010 it will be because of irresponsible bullshit like this.