Harry "The Weasel" Reid

This is rich. Harry Reid earlier spouted off some inside information about yet another particular insurance company headed toward the brink of bankruptcy. Naturally, the markets bailed on all the major insurers, causing a huge drop to the already beleaguered stocks. Here are his comments:

"We don't have a lot of leeway on time. One of the individuals in the caucus today talked about a major insurance company. A major insurance company -- one with a name that everyone knows that's on the verge of going bankrupt. That's what this is all about." Reid said prior to the Senate's approval of the $700 billion bailout bill.

Oh, but Reid can't be held responsible for those comments. They were just "misunderstood."

"Senator Reid is not personally aware of any particular company being on the verge of bankruptcy. He has no special knowledge about [a bankruptcy] nor has he talked to any insurance company officials," said Jim Manley, spokesman for Sen. Reid, in an email to CNNMoney.com.

How does he get away with this? Why his constituents don't hold him responsible for such duplicity is beyond me.

Senate: Let's Put This Messy Immigration Issue Behind Us

immigration_dc 006
Originally uploaded by mattdailey.

Amid the self-congratulation the Senate is giving itself about its immigration bill compromise, appears that the claim of bipartisanship has trumped reason as well as effective legislation. Let's quote South Carolina senator Jim DeMint:

"According to reports, the bill contains a new 'Z Visa' that allows those who entered our country illegally to stay here permanently without ever returning home. This rewards people who broke the law with permanent legal status, and puts them ahead of millions of law-abiding immigrants waiting to come to America. I don't care how you try to spin it, this is amnesty."

Thank you, Senator, for calling a spade a spade.

Immigration is one of those issues that legislators wish they didn't have to deal with, because no matter your position, you're going to make a lot of people angry. What's unfortunate is that few have the cajones to take a real stand, and instead take a watered-down position and call it a glorified act of bipartisanship.

Know which presidential candidate isn't getting caught up in the sweep-the-problem-under-the-carpet routine? Yep, it's Mitt.

"I strongly oppose today's bill going through the Senate. It is the wrong approach. Any legislation that allows illegal immigrants to stay in the country indefinitely, as the new 'Z-Visa' does, is a form of amnesty. That is unfair to the millions of people who have applied to legally immigrate to the U.S.

"Today's Senate agreement falls short of the actions needed to both solve our country's illegal immigration problem and also strengthen our legal immigration system. Border security and a reliable employment verification system must be our first priority."

No other major presidential candidate has taken as strong a position on immigration reform, which is anther reason that Romney is the clear choice for '08.

Al Franken Is Hilariously Hopeless

I'm not too current with Minnesota politics (or the politics of most states, for that matter), but an Al Franken story popped up on my screen and gave me a laugh. For those who don't know, the left-wing comedian is running for senate against Norm Coleman, the Republican incumbent. The story is about how Franken is meeting with ag producers and learning all kinds of things he never knew before. What got me laughing were his comments:

“I know almost nothing about it, and I will have to learn more about it not only in the next 19 months before the election but hopefully the next six, seven, eight, 12 to 14 years in the Senate.”

Does Al know how long a senate term is? Apparently, it's anywhere from 6-14 years long. (The senate has a six-year election cycle.) Now that's quite a term!

Having been in Minnesota several times, I can say that it's a beautiful state. But that doesn't diminish the fact that the state is known for supporting wackos, (Jesse Ventura, Ralph Nader, etc). So it makes perfect sense for Franken to make his political debut there. It should be good for a few more laughs.

I'll see your Stabenow and raise you Levin.

Sen. Carl Levin, D - Mich.
Originally uploaded by Senor Velasco.

Yep, here's a signed photo of my other senator. I think he and Debbie make a nice pair, don't you think? I think it's obvious that South Dakota breeds better looking politicians. (Tom Daschle doesn't count. I'd say the same for Tim Johnson, but that would be mean since he's recovering from a brain hemorrhage.)

See my nearly complete set here.

My Collection Grows

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D - Mich.
Originally uploaded by Senor Velasco.

Yes, my little collection of signed autographs from my congressional representatives just grew. Not in attractiveness, mind you, but in quantity. Debbie Stabenow isn't the least bit attractive to me politically. But what do you expect from a constituency dominated by labor unions and the entitlement-minded?

Now let's see if I get anything for Carl Levin and Joe Knollenberg!