The Senate Pajama Party

I don't know about you, but the thought of Ted Kennedy in his boxer shorts makes my stomach hurt a little. Equally distressing is the image of Hillary in a nightgown, (I wonder if she wears those eye masks, and puts rollers in her hair) and skinny Harry Reid in striped pajamas. I like my government officials fully clothed and well-rested, they are less likely to screw things up when they get eight hours of sleep.

Although Bush goes to bed at 10:00 pm, so maybe I'm wrong.

Much noise is being made in the press about photo ops, uncomfortable cots, and CVS toothbrushes, many in the mainstream media are disparaging the all night Senate Session as political theater, and an unnecessary piece of drama. A resolution to begin withdrawing US forces from Iraq was not passed, the Democrats didn't have the votes, and they knew it going in. And if it was just political theater, so what? What issue today is more important? (okay, global warming, but the war is certainly a close second). This debate deserves top billing, and the added attraction of our esteemed lawmakers in their night clothes. There is no conversation more critical to our future than an end to this war.

So why not get these fat, comfortable, rich and privileged leaders to work some overtime? Soldiers in Iraq get awakened to the sound of mortar shells at 3 am. They work nights in hostile places without air conditioning, and no one is ordering pizza, or bringing them cots to sleep on. At the end of a long night's work, they are not exhausted from talking too much, they are lucky to get back to a cot with all of their limbs still attached.

The next time the Senate pulls an all nighter, I think they should be required to dress in military gear, and tote fifty pound backpacks. I think they should skip the pizza and the air-conditioning, and camp out in the most dangerous parts of the country. They should eat beef jerky, and pee by the side of the road.

If by morning, they are still alive, maybe then they can vote.

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