MAKING THE GIPPER SMILE POSTHUMOUSLY



Upon consulting the Senate Chamber Daily Digest on the Library of Congress' website, I discovered that there were sooo many critical measures passed yesterday!!!

While the comprehensive plan to overhaul immigration is in the works (for serious it totally is, any day now we'll have an awesome new policy for immigrants that everyone will love!), two new measures DID get passed, and now I can sleep at night.

I am so happy our elected officials have their decision hats on today, passing two new measures as of May 21, 2007:

1. S.Res 130: Designating July 28, 2007 as "National Day of the American Cowboy"

and

2. S.254: Awarding a Congressional gold metal to artist Constantino Brumidi

--oh, and under "measures reported" the LOC listed the establishment of a new committee, called the "Star Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission". Did I mention Constantino Brumidi has been dead since 1880?

Yeah old Ronnie would be smiling down upon the rotunda, whose innards are graced with Brumidi's frescoed depiction of George Washington-as-god in the "Apotheosis of Washington". Although, it's safe to say the Gipper wasn't the artsy fartsy type--he much preferred bronze scuptures of cowboys to Sistine Chapel-esque frescos or any piece of art with the slightest reference to antiquity. Specifically, the Gip was a fan of Frederic Remington, whose silver statue of "Bronco Buster" depicts a cowboy in a rodeo; it graced the Oval Office during his entire tenure. You can now purchase a limited-edition replica for the bargain basement price of $30,000 act now, it's at conservativebookservice.com!

Here are some highlights of S.Res 130, or the designation of July 28 as "National Day of the American Cowboy":

Whereas that cowboy spirit continues to infuse the Nation with its solid character, sound family values, and good common sense;

Whereas the cowboy loves, lives off of, and depends on the land and its creatures, and is an excellent steward, protecting and enhancing the environment;

Whereas rodeo is the sixth most-watched sport in the United States;

Whereas to recognize the American cowboy is to acknowledge the ongoing commitment of the United States to an esteemed and enduring code of conduct...

Wow, only in America would genocide and environmental devastation figure quaintly into an "esteemed and enduring code of conduct".

Today I realized that Congresspersons are just like me in the workplace, we know we've got business to attend to, but somehow get distracted by our own ego-stroking vanity projects (like, ahem, perhaps blogging).