Michelle Malkin has been all over this embarrassing photo taken of Democratic members of the Connecticut state legislature, during a floor speech by a Republican legislator made as part of a chamber debate on the state budget:
Another photo shows another legislator directly behind these two watching a baseball game online. A commenter noted the identities of the legislators in the photos:
"Using a little detective work and a seating chart, the woman is [State Democrat Rep. Barbara] Lambert. That would make the person to her left [State Democrat Rep. Jack] Hennessy, and the unshown person two rows behind watching baseball likely [State Democrat Rep. Russ] Morin."
Jack Hennessy is, according to Michelle Malkin, the Assistant Majority Leader of the Connecticut legislature.
Connecticut Democrats responded to Malkin's original post by explaining that the photo was taken during a "marathon 13 hour budget session," and that the solitaire games and other diversions were only "momentary." Malkin replied, "I bet Connecticut voters are more than a wee bit curious about how "momentary" those "momentary diversions" really have been."
Comments (22)
There are Republicans in Co... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Gmac | September 2, 2009 8:15 AM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
There are Republicans in Connecticut, holding elective office?
Anyhow, this shows that when there IS a Republican on the floor speaking that the Democrats can just ignore them with impunity.
1. Posted by Gmac | September 2, 2009 8:15 AM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 08:15
2. Posted by rodney dill | September 2, 2009 9:13 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
...at least it wasn't World of Warcraft.
2. Posted by rodney dill | September 2, 2009 9:13 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 09:13
3. Posted by epador | September 2, 2009 9:21 AM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
rodney:
That's probably what the Republican legislator was playing.
3. Posted by epador | September 2, 2009 9:21 AM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 09:21
4. Posted by Mac Lorry | September 2, 2009 9:34 AM | Score: 16 (18 votes cast)
Unfortunately Michelle Malkin is wrong in this case as the images you see on the computer screens are not solitaire games, but a new software program called Budgeting For Dummies. By using an interface Dummies are already familiar with the program teaches that there are only so many cards in the deck and that tough choices need to be made rather than going to taxpayers and just keep asking for more cards.
The company is now working on a program called Healthcare for Dummies that uses advanced modeling technology to show how the national debt increases as users add a public option or if they limit debt how death panels pop up. Based on real data from Canada and the UK, the program estimates how many blocks long the lines will be for people wanting to make a dentist appointment.
The company hopes to have their Voting for Dummies ready in the fall of 2011; they expect the demand to be about 52 million copies.
4. Posted by Mac Lorry | September 2, 2009 9:34 AM |
Score: 16 (18 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 09:34
5. Posted by JustRuss | September 2, 2009 10:45 AM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
We have all played solitare or freecell at work at some point if we have access to a computer. The difference is how MUCH these people get paid to figure out the DIRECTION of the COUNTRY!
WTF!?!!
5. Posted by JustRuss | September 2, 2009 10:45 AM |
Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 10:45
6. Posted by Dustin | September 2, 2009 11:09 AM | Score: -1 (11 votes cast)
Before you criticize them you must watch 13 hours straight of C-Span with a laptop and not do what they are doing.
6. Posted by Dustin | September 2, 2009 11:09 AM |
Score: -1 (11 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 11:09
7. Posted by bryanD | September 2, 2009 11:26 AM | Score: -9 (15 votes cast)
A palate-cleansing game of solitaire by an attendee during a pantload recitativo falls within the parameters of common courtesy, i.e. showing up is half the job and her vote preceeds her anyway and it beats speaking to an empty house and Solitaire assures all eyes remain open. Some great female employees resort to computer solitaire at times such as these.
As it is written in the Book of Chairs, chapter 2:
2-14)"Online Man shalt not flick boogers at Solitaire Woman..."
7. Posted by bryanD | September 2, 2009 11:26 AM |
Score: -9 (15 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 11:26
8. Posted by JLawson | September 2, 2009 11:59 AM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
You know - I think they're probably doing much less damage by playing solitare than anything else they could be doing. Certainly it's less costly to the rest of us.
Perhaps we should make it mandatory - all laptops brought into the House and Senate should have only an OS and 5 different versions of solitare. (If internet access is supplied, the only site that should be accessible is Kongregate.com - let them play to their heart's content, but don't let them do anything else!)
8. Posted by JLawson | September 2, 2009 11:59 AM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 11:59
9. Posted by GarandFan | September 2, 2009 12:09 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
I'm all for part-time legislators. Less time to do any actual damage. Just look at what Kalifornia has accomplished since voting in a full time legislature.
9. Posted by GarandFan | September 2, 2009 12:09 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 12:09
10. Posted by jim2 | September 2, 2009 1:16 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
That's better than them actually legislating.
Or, as Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) put it:
"No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session."
10. Posted by jim2 | September 2, 2009 1:16 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 13:16
11. Posted by Peter F. | September 2, 2009 1:16 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
They were probably just killing time before their fantasy football drafts.
11. Posted by Peter F. | September 2, 2009 1:16 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 13:16
12. Posted by 914 | September 2, 2009 1:19 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
#7 bryanD
What? You are so hard to understand?
12. Posted by 914 | September 2, 2009 1:19 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 13:19
13. Posted by 914 | September 2, 2009 1:36 PM | Score: 2 (6 votes cast)
So,?? Its ok to flicker away tax dollars while the Kenyan in chief twitters? But if You happen to be sexy, smart and sweet like Sarah Palin and Me, than, Your the big satan. The anti-christ.
That about right BRYANd?
13. Posted by 914 | September 2, 2009 1:36 PM |
Score: 2 (6 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 13:36
14. Posted by rodney dill | September 2, 2009 1:46 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
14. Posted by rodney dill | September 2, 2009 1:46 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 13:46
15. Posted by 914 | September 2, 2009 2:13 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Ok brian,
FU 2
15. Posted by 914 | September 2, 2009 2:13 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 14:13
16. Posted by JustRuss | September 2, 2009 3:59 PM | Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
914:
Dude WTF? You are often hard to read as well, people in glass houses should have an outhouse and all that...
16. Posted by JustRuss | September 2, 2009 3:59 PM |
Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 15:59
17. Posted by KurtO | September 2, 2009 4:43 PM | Score: -1 (7 votes cast)
Seriously, you think any debate in any state house is going to change the minds of the Senators at that juncture? It was a budget debate...you vote yes or no. Now if this was porn you would have a story.
As much as I like to bash politicians, especially those on the left of the isle this is a bit petty.
17. Posted by KurtO | September 2, 2009 4:43 PM |
Score: -1 (7 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 16:43
18. Posted by GarandFan | September 2, 2009 6:26 PM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
"...this is a bit petty."
Yes but very symptomatic of our current political system Have you noticed the propensity of our "elected representatives" wanting to "tell us what to do".
18. Posted by GarandFan | September 2, 2009 6:26 PM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 18:26
19. Posted by GarandFan | September 2, 2009 8:00 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
"If they were smarter they would play a challenging computer game. Like minesweeper."
They're not that smart.
19. Posted by GarandFan | September 2, 2009 8:00 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 20:00
20. Posted by Synova | September 2, 2009 10:34 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Well... it's Solitare and not WoW so...
20. Posted by Synova | September 2, 2009 10:34 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 2, 2009 22:34
21. Posted by Flu-Bird | September 3, 2009 12:35 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
My grandmother played solitare on her kitchen table with cards all day sometimes
21. Posted by Flu-Bird | September 3, 2009 12:35 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 3, 2009 00:35
22. Posted by KurtO | September 3, 2009 12:09 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
What's worse playing Solitare during a budget debate or reading Wizbang at work all day? LOL.
22. Posted by KurtO | September 3, 2009 12:09 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 3, 2009 12:09