Last month I had written a couple of articles outlining the political similarities between the fall of the Roman Empire and the current course of politics in America. Needless to say, the major causes for the fall of Rome are frighteningly close to the discussions we see all over America today. One of the more recent theories being bandied about claim that lead poisoning had seriously affected the mental competence of the Roman elite which contributed to the fall. Lead was used in great quantities all over the Roman Empire, particularly for the comfort of the elite ruling class.
Lead pipes brought drinking water to the homes of the wealthy, the Senate and to the Imperial palaces. Lead was used to seal anything used in conjunction with water including baths; it was even used to sweeten wine for the most privileged members of the society. Lead was in such broad use that it could have posed a significant threat to the health and sanity of those upper classes and scientists say they have found tell-tale signs of lead poisoning in human bones recovered from Roman necropolises. The lead was concentrated in amounts well above the levels needed to impede rational thought and may be the smoking gun that explains the wild stories of eccentricity prevalent in the Roman elite during the final years of the Empire.
Watching the antics going on in Washington these days, one must wonder what has affected their behavior. We know that America has prohibited the use of lead for household plumbing and paint. We are well aware of the dangers associated with lead and have taken the proper precautions to protect ourselves from this insidious killer so it can’t be that.
It’s no mystery that our illustrious Congressmen drink too much because it was disclosed that the liquor bill on Pelosi’s private flights between Washington and San Francisco outspend the food consumed on those flights and probably runs a close second to the cost of the fuel used to power the aircraft. Recently disgraced Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY) apparently drank heavily enough to get into “tickle” fights with other men in their 50’s and with members of his staff. This erratic and childish behavior continued to the point where some staffers had accused him of inappropriate physical contact. His retort to these charges were equally bizarre and consisted of a string of unsubstantiated claims that this was the manifestation of a concerted effort to force him out of Congress because of his opposition to the Senate Healthcare Bill; an opposition shared by dozens of other Democrats that obviously have not been subject to similar attacks.
Ted Kennedy was also famous for his imbibing ever since the days of Chappaquiddick. His bloated figure and large reddened nose had been the subject of many stories of three martini luncheons and hazy vacations in Martha’s Vineyard before his illness had taken their place in the tabloid headlines. Charlie Wilson (D-TX) may have been recorded in history for his involvement in the clandestine military operations against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan but he was equally famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) for raucous womanizing fueled by drug and alcohol consumption.
Of course it could just be the stress of the job or some other deeply emotional issues that we are seeing. Even Nancy Pelosi has shown evidence of mild dementia; at least that’s what it looks like to me. How else could you claim that American’s want Congress to pass healthcare reform immediately in the face of overwhelming opposition? She seems to have no concept of how miserably people are rating the approval of Congress and has no concern for the future of her party despite poll after poll that says there will be a heavy price to pay for passing this; especially if there are more back room deals and legislative tricks. Harry Reid has been reduced to a babbling fool incapable of rendering a coherent thought without infuriating massive segments of the population; something politicians never do unless they are at the point of mental collapse. His last statement basically said that Congress must pass a jobs bill because unemployed men beat their wives and the abuse shelters in Nevada are overflowing. Yeah; poor fellow.
Speaking of someone that appears to be on the verge of mental collapse, we have the incredible display put on by Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) yesterday. While debating a bill proposed by Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), that if passed, would have required the immediate withdrawal of U.S. Military forces from Afghanistan, Representative Kennedy threw what can only be described as a kindergarten tantrum about the lack of press coverage. His voice cracked as he screeched at the upper levels of his vocal range, shouting that the reason Americans are so upset with Congress is the lack of coverage the press gives to Congressmen actually doing their jobs. Pointing at the two news agencies that had reporters present, Kennedy called the media’s lack of interest “despicable” noting that this bill speaks of “war and peace” and affects the lives of the military personnel risking their lives in the call of duty and in the defense of their nation.
He continued saying that the press was covering the resignation of Eric Massa “24-7” but failed to show up for this crucial debate. I’m not certain whether it was the media’s lack of attention to that bill that angered Patrick Kennedy or if it was the unnerving reality that for the first time since the Kennedy family entered American politics, the media was not riveted to their seats to hear a Kennedy speak. In fact, Patrick Kennedy’s career has been so unremarkable that even his announcement that he would not seek reelection populated news stories for a mere twenty-four hours. His tantrum only proves that you can kick a Kennedy, you can disgrace a Kennedy you can even despise a Kennedy but if you should dare to ignore one, they become unglued. Hopefully our poor little Patrick won’t suffer the same fate and lifelong feelings of inadequacy that have plagued the children of so many of America’s Hollywood stars. It is a terrible thing to live in the shadows of the public giants that preceded you only to be brushed aside as an inferior copy of the original.
The media did not attend the debate on this bill because the bill was meaningless. The Kucinich resolution was based on the 1973 War Powers Act that requires the President to obtain congressional approval when he sends troops to a conflict for more than 90 days. Since Congress has been regularly authorizing expenditures for the conflict since it’s inception, the requirement for approval has been adequately met to the satisfaction of all but a few of the more extreme Democratic Progressives in the Congress and the resolution failed with predictable margins. The Massa resignation had the potential for far reaching consequences because of the accusations Massa had launched against the White House and the Democratic Leadership. It wasn’t until Massa’s showed no interest in pursuing those charges that the media realized that there was no credible reason to believe they were true.
Since his resignation, the House investigation into the charges has been terminated because the House Ethics Committee has no authority to investigate private citizens. Unless the staffer that levied the charges is willing to pursue the matter with other authorities, we will never know the full extent of Massa’s behavior in connection with this. Well, that’s not entirely true. I fully expect another “tell-all” book will surface either written by the violated staffer or someone else close to the Congressman’s office. That is just the way these matters are handled in Washington these days.
I’m sorry Patrick. The American people are not angry because we have not seen Congress at work. In fact, we are angry precisely because we have seen, felt and fear the work that you have been doing. If Congress were to take a protracted vacation and leave the poor taxpayers alone, the approval rating of Congress would probably climb twenty points every month you folks were off playing golf and sailing schooners. I hate to tell you….we don’t even care if you “tickle” each other until you all need diapers; just stop the taxing and the spending and you’ll be fine in the end.
I guess all we can do now is watch for more of this strange behavior and try to connect the dots in an attempt to find the cause. Lead poisoning was likely responsible for Roman Emperor Nero torching a large part of urban Rome and legend has it that he played his fiddle as he watched the flames consume hundreds of buildings. I know Obama smokes….I just hope he doesn’t play any musical instruments; at least until we find out what is driving our elected officials crazy.
Paul
Lead pipes brought drinking water to the homes of the wealthy, the Senate and to the Imperial palaces. Lead was used to seal anything used in conjunction with water including baths; it was even used to sweeten wine for the most privileged members of the society. Lead was in such broad use that it could have posed a significant threat to the health and sanity of those upper classes and scientists say they have found tell-tale signs of lead poisoning in human bones recovered from Roman necropolises. The lead was concentrated in amounts well above the levels needed to impede rational thought and may be the smoking gun that explains the wild stories of eccentricity prevalent in the Roman elite during the final years of the Empire.
Watching the antics going on in Washington these days, one must wonder what has affected their behavior. We know that America has prohibited the use of lead for household plumbing and paint. We are well aware of the dangers associated with lead and have taken the proper precautions to protect ourselves from this insidious killer so it can’t be that.
It’s no mystery that our illustrious Congressmen drink too much because it was disclosed that the liquor bill on Pelosi’s private flights between Washington and San Francisco outspend the food consumed on those flights and probably runs a close second to the cost of the fuel used to power the aircraft. Recently disgraced Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY) apparently drank heavily enough to get into “tickle” fights with other men in their 50’s and with members of his staff. This erratic and childish behavior continued to the point where some staffers had accused him of inappropriate physical contact. His retort to these charges were equally bizarre and consisted of a string of unsubstantiated claims that this was the manifestation of a concerted effort to force him out of Congress because of his opposition to the Senate Healthcare Bill; an opposition shared by dozens of other Democrats that obviously have not been subject to similar attacks.
Ted Kennedy was also famous for his imbibing ever since the days of Chappaquiddick. His bloated figure and large reddened nose had been the subject of many stories of three martini luncheons and hazy vacations in Martha’s Vineyard before his illness had taken their place in the tabloid headlines. Charlie Wilson (D-TX) may have been recorded in history for his involvement in the clandestine military operations against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan but he was equally famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) for raucous womanizing fueled by drug and alcohol consumption.
Of course it could just be the stress of the job or some other deeply emotional issues that we are seeing. Even Nancy Pelosi has shown evidence of mild dementia; at least that’s what it looks like to me. How else could you claim that American’s want Congress to pass healthcare reform immediately in the face of overwhelming opposition? She seems to have no concept of how miserably people are rating the approval of Congress and has no concern for the future of her party despite poll after poll that says there will be a heavy price to pay for passing this; especially if there are more back room deals and legislative tricks. Harry Reid has been reduced to a babbling fool incapable of rendering a coherent thought without infuriating massive segments of the population; something politicians never do unless they are at the point of mental collapse. His last statement basically said that Congress must pass a jobs bill because unemployed men beat their wives and the abuse shelters in Nevada are overflowing. Yeah; poor fellow.
Speaking of someone that appears to be on the verge of mental collapse, we have the incredible display put on by Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) yesterday. While debating a bill proposed by Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), that if passed, would have required the immediate withdrawal of U.S. Military forces from Afghanistan, Representative Kennedy threw what can only be described as a kindergarten tantrum about the lack of press coverage. His voice cracked as he screeched at the upper levels of his vocal range, shouting that the reason Americans are so upset with Congress is the lack of coverage the press gives to Congressmen actually doing their jobs. Pointing at the two news agencies that had reporters present, Kennedy called the media’s lack of interest “despicable” noting that this bill speaks of “war and peace” and affects the lives of the military personnel risking their lives in the call of duty and in the defense of their nation.
He continued saying that the press was covering the resignation of Eric Massa “24-7” but failed to show up for this crucial debate. I’m not certain whether it was the media’s lack of attention to that bill that angered Patrick Kennedy or if it was the unnerving reality that for the first time since the Kennedy family entered American politics, the media was not riveted to their seats to hear a Kennedy speak. In fact, Patrick Kennedy’s career has been so unremarkable that even his announcement that he would not seek reelection populated news stories for a mere twenty-four hours. His tantrum only proves that you can kick a Kennedy, you can disgrace a Kennedy you can even despise a Kennedy but if you should dare to ignore one, they become unglued. Hopefully our poor little Patrick won’t suffer the same fate and lifelong feelings of inadequacy that have plagued the children of so many of America’s Hollywood stars. It is a terrible thing to live in the shadows of the public giants that preceded you only to be brushed aside as an inferior copy of the original.
The media did not attend the debate on this bill because the bill was meaningless. The Kucinich resolution was based on the 1973 War Powers Act that requires the President to obtain congressional approval when he sends troops to a conflict for more than 90 days. Since Congress has been regularly authorizing expenditures for the conflict since it’s inception, the requirement for approval has been adequately met to the satisfaction of all but a few of the more extreme Democratic Progressives in the Congress and the resolution failed with predictable margins. The Massa resignation had the potential for far reaching consequences because of the accusations Massa had launched against the White House and the Democratic Leadership. It wasn’t until Massa’s showed no interest in pursuing those charges that the media realized that there was no credible reason to believe they were true.
Since his resignation, the House investigation into the charges has been terminated because the House Ethics Committee has no authority to investigate private citizens. Unless the staffer that levied the charges is willing to pursue the matter with other authorities, we will never know the full extent of Massa’s behavior in connection with this. Well, that’s not entirely true. I fully expect another “tell-all” book will surface either written by the violated staffer or someone else close to the Congressman’s office. That is just the way these matters are handled in Washington these days.
I’m sorry Patrick. The American people are not angry because we have not seen Congress at work. In fact, we are angry precisely because we have seen, felt and fear the work that you have been doing. If Congress were to take a protracted vacation and leave the poor taxpayers alone, the approval rating of Congress would probably climb twenty points every month you folks were off playing golf and sailing schooners. I hate to tell you….we don’t even care if you “tickle” each other until you all need diapers; just stop the taxing and the spending and you’ll be fine in the end.
I guess all we can do now is watch for more of this strange behavior and try to connect the dots in an attempt to find the cause. Lead poisoning was likely responsible for Roman Emperor Nero torching a large part of urban Rome and legend has it that he played his fiddle as he watched the flames consume hundreds of buildings. I know Obama smokes….I just hope he doesn’t play any musical instruments; at least until we find out what is driving our elected officials crazy.
Paul
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