Clearly, this is no time to party. Economic indicators are deeply troubling. Household debt-to-income levels are at historic highs, and estimates show that homes continue to be overvalued by as much as 30 percent. Many credit-card companies are facing insolvency. And commercial real-estate projects across the nation are quickly coming to their moment of crisis.
Make no mistake: We need fewer concerts with big-name attractions and more of the hard work to get our economic house in order. This may just be one of those times when Congress needs to save the big corporations from themselves.
(John Kerry, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, is a Democrat and a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee. The opinions expressed are his own.)
Well spoken Mr. Kerry but what about?
Since the presidency changed hands less than six weeks ago, a burst of entertaining has taken hold of the iconic, white-columned home of America’s head of state. Much of it comes on Wednesdays.
The stately East Room, where portraits of George and Martha Washington adorn the walls, was transformed into a concert hall as President Barack Obama presented Stevie Wonder with the nation’s highest award for pop music on Wednesday.
The flurry of entertaining is in keeping with the Obamas’ promise to make the White House a more open place for everyone.
The governors’ dinner was “a great kickoff of what we hope will be an atmosphere here in the White House that is welcoming and that reminds everybody that this is the people’s house,” Obama told the state chief executives after they had dined on Maryland crab, Wagyu beef, Nantucket scallops and citrus salad.
“We are just temporary occupants. This is a place that belongs to the American people and we want to make sure that everybody understands it’s open,” he said.
At the dinner in the State Dining Room, the Obamas looked comfortable, chatting and smiling with their guests. Afterward, they escorted the governors down the hall to the East Room, which had been arranged with few tables and chairs to encourage dancing to “September,” “Boogie Wonderland” and other hits from a musical group Obama listened to growing up.
And of course there is this little gem of a story:
Six Democratic members of Congress enjoyed a Caribbean junket sponsored by Citigroup after Congress had approved the $700 billion bailout of financial services firms in October.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a watchdog group, has asked Neil Barofsky, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, for a formal review of the Citigroup’s sponsorship of the trip by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel and five others.
The NLPC says the trip violated House rules.
The purported purpose of the Nov. 6-9 junket was to attend the Caribbean Multi-Cultural Business Conference on the island of St. Maarten, but “the primary purpose of attending for most participants appeared to be to take a vacation,” according to the NLPC, which had a representative at the event.
In addition to Rangel, other members of Congress who attended were Donald Payne of New Jersey, Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and Donna Christensen, the delegate to the House from the United States Virgin Islands.
Apparently the only employee partying allowed are those enjoyed by the White House employees. If I am not mistaken are not the White House employees receiving TAX PAYER MONEY? In fact is it not true that the whole budget of the WHITE HOUSE is paid for by the TAX PAYERS? Why then Mr Kerry do you not play by the same rules you want to impose upon other EMPLOYEES?
This current White House looks more like a frat house then a State house. The current occupants of the people’s house seem to enjoy partying like a fraternity. While the American economy burns the frat boys host another party. Come the weekend they will once again announce another spending spree and take their parents money and squander it on riotous living, just like undisciplined college frat boys. I do not want kegger holding, binge drinking, party animals for leaders especially when the economy is on a downturn. Nero fiddled while Rome burned. This administration parties while the economy falters.
THE PARTY’S over guys, it is time we the people demand accountability. After all if is good for the goose that lays the golden egg isn’t it good for the gander as well? Mr Kerry seems to think there is way too much partying going on and so do we the people. Especially when we get stuck with the tab.
