This summer, more than 24 members of Congress went to Iraq on “fact-finding” missions. The definition of such a mission is basically two days of riding around in the safe zone and talking to people who toe the company line. Granted, it was Iraq and that is not exactly like golfing in Myrtle Beach, but still, these junkets have more PR purpose than actual finding of facts.
A trip to Iraq can also polish the old Congressional resume, too, even if the polish is short on shine. Example: South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham spent two weeks in Iraq decked out in fatigues with a pistol strapped to his side. This photo op garnered a headline proclaiming Sen. Graham as the “only member of Congress to serve in Iraq.”
I know a young man who has spent a year over there (actually serving in the hot zones without a Congressional security detail) and is headed back for another year soon. Think he would trade his two-year stint of service for Senator Graham’s two weeks?
But that’s not the point. So what is the point? Used to be that you actually had to serve to get credit for, well, serving. Now, two weeks and a smile will get you a hero’s welcome, well, if you punch your timecard at the capitol.
I used this gauge on my own diligent service.
I am now a full-fledged member of the NFL, having been to several games and even on the field twice with Hall of Famers. I played H.O.R.S.E. with Michael Jordan, so I may be up for the NBA Hall of Fame myself. I went to the capital last year, so, using the Graham method of service calculation, I think I may start voting on Congressional bills when they go back in session. I have a little flag lapel pin. I have white hair. I just need to comb it and shave. No biggie.
Do my dozens of visits to Civil War battlefields, spending days roaming amongst the trenches and earthworks, make me a Civil War veteran? Can I get benefits from the Screen Actors Guild for all those DVD’s we’ve rented at Blockbuster over the years?
My Jack Russell, Rudy, was with me on a trip last weekend. We pulled into an interstate rest stop and we (he on a leash, naturally) went to the restroom. As I stood in the stall, I looked down and noticed Rudy tapping his foot and running his paw under the stall divider. What the heck? Next thing I know, Rudy is representing the great state of Idaho in Congress.
He leaves for his two-day junket to Iraq next week.
Tags: , Famous People, Government, Humor, Personal Stories, Politics, Rudy