Cognitive Dissonance and Fire Prevention

What follows is an excerpt from the weekly newsletter from Jerry Moran (R), First District Congressman from Kansas. He is a "very nice" person. He ran against and defeated Joe Norvell and has steadily advanced up the political ladder, now aiming for the U.S. Senate seat which will be open here in 2010, if Sen. Sam Brownback does as expected, and runs for Governor in Kansas.

Notice that Jerry voted against the bailout.

I know that the vote against the bailout is not really a vote against reckless government spending, but it seems like even the most intelligent and reasonable people we send to Washington don’t get it. At the very least, it seems like there should be a better effort to explain to the great unwashed that the rule of holes doesn’t mean what it says, or does not apply here.

Also, Jerry points out, rightfully, that: “There are consequences to years of a growing burden of debt."

The problem is that he forgot to mention that he, and 95% of his fellow Congressional Republicans, were there for those years and voted in favor of the growing burden of debt, blindly following the demands of Bush, Cheney, and the people who put them there.

I just keep having flashbacks, remembering a particular fireman here in Hays, Kansas, in the 1960’s.

He was almost always first to the scene of every fire.

Finally, they figured out that he was setting the fires.

"Dear Friend,

"Welcome to 'This Week in Congress.' I hope you find this newsletter useful....

"Just a few moments ago, the U.S. House rejected a $700 billion financial industry bailout plan designed to resolve the credit crisis in our financial markets....

"I voted against this bill.... Clearly, our country is facing very difficult economic times. We have known there was a day coming when there would be consequences to the amount of debt on the books of individuals, corporations and our nation....

"No elected official likes to be in a situation where there are no good options.... There are consequences to years of a growing burden of debt. This legislation might have postponed the consequences but would not have eliminated them. I fully expect more financial problems to occur during the next few months.... Many lives will be impacted - but today’s bill provided false hope....

"It is an honor to serve you in Washington, D.C. Please let me know how I can be of assistance....

"Very truly yours,
Jerry"

[excerpted from a newsletter written by Rep. Jerry Moran (KS-01), September 29, 2008]

The criminals are taking credit for crime-stopping, to put it bluntly.

What a mess.