Scum and Dumber

by poputonian

In January, digby linked to a question Charles Schumer asked: “What are the eight words that will save the Democratic Party?”

In the comments, I said, “Here’s eight words and a number: “Burton was absent for all 19 votes this week,” and linked to this article:

WASHINGTON — Rep. Dan Burton missed all U.S. House action this week, and his office declined to say where the Indianapolis Republican is.

Burton did not participate in any of the 19 floor votes in the House, including votes on measures to cut the interest rate for some student loans and repeal a tax break for oil and gas companies.The House Foreign Relations Committee, on which Burton is a top Republican, held hearings on Iraq and North Korea.

The question of Burton’s whereabouts was answered last evening (scroll down), and for those who asked, Ray Romano was his partner.

Being a U.S. Congressmen isn’t easy. You put your reputation on the line, day after day. You sometimes have to spend as many as three days a week doing your job. You have to live off a paltry salary of just $165,000 a year (not counting bribes).
…
According to IndyStar.com, Burton skipped 19 House votes, including measures to reduce college costs and cut oil industry tax breaks, so he could play in a golf tournament last month in Palm Springs, Calif. Burton also missed hearings on Iraq and North Korea so he could play in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic with big-time celebrities like Ray Romano.

At the risk of sounding absolutely disgusting, I have to say that Burton is SCUM.

But, really, Burton’s almost nothing compared to the dumber Representative who got left behind, Eric Cantor (R-Nutball-VA):

MATTHEWS: How many wars are we going to have to fight in our lifetime? You want to go to war with Iran now?

CANTOR: I’m not saying we should take anything off the table.

MATTHEWS: Do you think we should go to war with Iran?

CANTOR: I don’t think that’s responsible for to us take that option off the table right now.

MATTHEWS: I’m asking you, do you think we should go to war? Yes or no?

CANTOR: I think all options including the military option should be left on the table.

MATTHEWS: This isn’t an option question. This isn’t multiple choice.

Right now, February 8, 2007, do you believe we should go to war with Iran?

CANTOR: I’ll leave that decision up to the commanders on the ground and those in our military …

Matthews is visibly taken aback.

MATTHEWS [straining]: Commanders on the ground … whether we go to war with another country?

CANTOR: I will leave the decisions in the military arena to — this is exactly the point.

MATTHEWS: This is Barry Goldwater talking. He used to say that.

Regional commanders can decide whether we want it use nuclear weapons. You’re obviously saying soldiers should decide which country to go to war with.

CANTOR: I’m here to say the military experts are those which might come up with the recommendation to the commander in chief that makes the decision. It is silly for us to expect.

MATTHEWS: I’m not talking – I just asked you a very simple question.

CANTOR: We’re going 535 commanders in chief –

Matthews is incredulous … Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) tries to spoon-feed the answer to Cantor:

MATTHEWS: I’ve never heard of anything like this in my life. Never in my life.

ISRAEL: Congress has a constitutional responsibility to decide whether we’re going to war or not. That’s what we’re elected to do. Those are the debates we should have.

CANTOR: Every president since –

MATTHEWS: The idea of declaring war as a soldier is unimaginable.

We’ll be right back to talk HARDBALL with the two congressmen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL. We’re back with Republican Congressman Eric Cantor of Virginia and Democratic Congressman Steve Israel of New York.

Let me ask you Congressman Cantor, very clearly, to clear up our discussion, if the U.S. Congress were to discuss tomorrow morning whether to declare war on Iran, would you vote yay?

CANTOR: This congress is not going to do that because it’s the commander in chief’s role, Chris, and Steve knows that as well. It’s not Congress that will ask for that. It is the commander in chief that will make that decision. Every president whether republican or Republican or Democrat since the War Powers Act was in place has interpreted it as being the commander in chief’s role to do that.

MATTHEWS: Would you support the president if he declared war in Iran tomorrow morning? As things are right now.

CANTOR: I will support what is in the best interest of securing this homeland and providing our troops with what they need and if there is a threat on the ground in Iraq and in the region that our troops need us, I will support them and that’s exactly the point on this Iraqi resolution because the Democrats want to have their cake and eat it, too. This is a nonbinding resolution. It’s a sense of Congress. It doesn’t mean anything. In fact it pollutes the message and sends the wrong message to our troops.

MATTHEWS: Congressman Israel, what’s the role of Congress in war and peace?

ISRAEL: Congress under the Constitution of the United States authorizes war. The War Powers Act requires Congress to vote on whether we should insert troops into hostile situations. The law is clear.

CANTOR: Absolutely not.

ISRAEL: Come on, Eric.

CANTOR: As a commander in chief the constitution gives –

MATTHEWS: Congressman Cantor, why did the president ask for approval of Congress before he went to Iraq?

CANTOR: I certainly think his counsel gave him guidance why he need to do that but the Constitution gives the commander in chief the right to send our troops into battle.

MATTHEWS: Maybe when it comes to war we don’t need a Congress according to that.

$165k each year, and for life after they retire. I can’t wait to hear how pooter2x4 rationalizes on behalf of this pair of Republican nutballs.UPDATE: C & L has the dumber episode on video.