I began watching the Dog and Pony show known as the Congressional Hearings regarding the AIG bonuses.  I didn't have much time to spend before heading out to work and, as luck would have it, I didn't need much time to see Congressional ignorance at its best.

Subcommittee Chairman Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa) stepped up to the plate early proclaiming that in his past life he was a lawyer and had apparently battled Edward Liddy's former company, Allstate, in court at least once. There was no indication given of who won.  He said he couldn't understand how AIG or any insurance company could deny a claim and basically tell a claimant to sue them if they didn't like it, but they couldn't do the same regarding the executive bonuses.  I know, its completely rediculous.  Rep. Kanjorski was attempting to draw a comparison between an insurance company's denial to pay out on a claim they didn't feel they were liable for, and deciding to honor a labor contract with their own employees.  But it does illustrate the problem we have with Congress trying to guide businesses out of trouble.  When you are that far out of touch with the real world, all you do is cause more problems.

Then you had Barney Frank (D-Ma) throwing a hissy-fit and wanting the names of the AIG employees that got the bonuses.  Hey Barney, how about releasing the figures concerning the payouts you took from Freddie and Fannae while you looked the other way as they started crumbling away?  Besides, in spite of his previous denials, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Ct) has finally admitted that he authored the amendment to the Stimulus Bill that okayed payment of those bonuses.  Of course, he claims that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner "forced" him to do it.  That and the fact he thought Obama would veto the entire bill if he didn't put it in, although he says no one ever mentioned a possible veto.  In essence, Dodd is blaming it all on Obama.  And Obama says the buck stops with him, unless of course he decides it's more politically advantageous to blame it on Bush.

Now the Democrat controlled Congress is looking at passing further legislation in order to take back the bonuses that their previous Stimulus Bill authorized.  They passed a law which now they don't like so a month later they want to pass another law to take back a portion of the previous law so that the current law will be right until the next public relations nightmare raises its ugly head then they'll have to go back and.... well, you get the idea.  It not only proves they don't know what they're enacting in the first place, it proves that they have no respect for law anyway.  And their word means absolutely nothing.  Just what kind of message is this sending to the general public and to the private sector?  Rush Limbaugh has got to be having the time of his life right now.