Diane Lazic
Politics: A Lighter View Columnist

Questions or concerns about Political issues or gossip? E-mail me about anything you've wanted to know dealing with politics or politicians and the games they play.
diane@enliv.com

I also was under the assumption that the trade off for the accumulation of sagging fat, and hair growth in all the wrong places was suppose to be pearls of wisdom unattainable in youth.

There really are only a few constitutional qualifications for holding office and unfortunately they are not to be exceptionally wise, graceful under fire and politically correct.

But most Congressional members are well educated and ambitious.

The required age for Congressional house members is 25 and for a senator is 30.The average age of representatives is 53.9. (Which is the same for the previous congress, but also older than the previous 17 congresses.)

The youngest representative as well as youngest member of congress is Adam Putnam a (R-FL) at the age of 28. The youngest Senator is freshman John Sununu (R-NH) who is 38 and a former member of the house. The oldest current member of Congress is Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) at 85.

When you picture the founding fathers do you envision them coming up with great ideas such as during a filibuster wearing T-shirts with petty jabs at the opposing party? That’s more the type of behavior that I expect from parents with GED’s at little league games and soccer mom’s with out their medication.

I wonder if James Madison was at this last filibuster if he would have been the guy handing out a Children’s book called “Republican Senators and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Night.”

Maybe Thomas Jefferson had already invented and handed out a Fili-Bingo board game, it’s just his one unreported invention.

There was also a "Care Package for Courageous Senators" Box. Its contents include coffee, candy bars, and a copy of the Constitution and Pepto-Bismol tablets that are said to counteract the nausea by Republican rhetoric. (I too find Republican rhetoric nauseating but, can’t imagining having anyone create a care package for a filibuster as a means to let that be known.)

It was reported from the Washington Post that after the 30 hour filibuster had started the Democrats were holding a pep rally for supporters, some of who were wearing t-shirts that read: "We Confirmed 98% of Bush's Judges and All We Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt."

Shouldn’t it be illegal to participate in a pep rally of any kind after the age of say, 52.9?

What can you say about this type of behavior on Capitol Hill? Don’t get me wrong I do prefer this to Condit, and the most mobile cigar holder- Monica Lewinski, yet, I find myself wishing that there were less examples of immature behavior.

Maybe that is just too darn much to expect of the people elected and entrusted to make legislative decisions.

How can you work in politics and not be Politically correct?

Antiques and art are often priceless because they have history and character. Some of the behavior on Capitol Hill is also priceless, but for completely different reasons.