Gutknecht and Nero – Neglecting Priorities

From Monday, July 10th’s [I] Washington Times :
The legislative year is littered with failed or stalled Republican priorities. Some -- such as overhauling immigration, repealing estate taxes and changing rules on lobbying in response to several ethics scandals -- are disappointments for many in the Republican Party and for Mr. Bush. With two-thirds of the 2006 legislative calendar over, Congress has passed and sent President Bush only two major pieces of legislation. One renewed the terrorist-fighting USA Patriot Act; the other extended $70 billion in tax cuts, roughly divided evenly between investors and middle-income families.[/I]
http://www.washtimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20060710-121128-1736r

Exemplifying this concern, Dick Armey, the former House Republican leader who is now with FreedomWorks, which advocates lower taxes and less government, stated ``I'm not sure what this Congress has accomplished."

And last week, former First District Congressman Tim Penny penned an Op-Ed piece in the [I]Rochester Post-Bulletin [/I] that is entitled “Tim Penny: Fix Social Security, or send incumbents home.”

Can any Republican Congressman be pleased with their performance and inability to enact legislation when the Republicans control both chambers of Congress and have a President who has yet to veto one bill?

So, what did First District Congressman Gil Gutknecht do last week while other Congressmen participated in immigration reform hearings?
Campaign - so that he can go back for another term - of doing nothing.
No, I am not fretting about a parade in Saint Peter, but instead with his constant choir-preaching of his 10/10 plan to the same congregation. Last week he visited Corn Plus and Bixby Energy. I don’t think these people need conversion to the advantages of ethanol. Gutknecht helped Corn Plus’ Bob Weerts get on an agriculture advisory council for President Bush during his 2004 campaign. Bixby Energy has already contributed at least $4,200 to Gutknecht’s re-election campaign.

Pushing his 10/10 plan is admirable, but why here in Southern Minnesota? Why hasn’t he taken his speaking tour on the road to other states where other forms of bio-fuels could be produced? Is it any wonder that his 10/10 plan has sit idle in Congress ?

Once again, Gutknecht has proven ineffective in promoting and resolving issues.
Makes me think of the Roman Emperor, Nero, made infamous with the preoccupation with his status and neglect priorities during a time of crisis.