Woman Of the House

It happened. Nancy Pelosi demonstrated today why she's the most powerful woman in Washington. (Sorry, Hillary.) She hauled the House of Representatives back into session in the middle of their inexplicably month-long summer vacation to pass a $26 billion spending bill that saves teachers' jobs and funds Medicaid payments. House Republican leader John Boehner decried the bill, declaring that it raises taxes and helps only special interests.

Boehner - whose tanning salon bills must really shock George Hamilton - is right on both counts. What he doesn't mention in promoting the former point is that the tax increase is a closed loophole that allowed American businesses not to pay taxes on their foreign operations. As for the latter point, well, teachers and poor people are of special interest . . . to the Democrats who represent them. The bill, which allows money allocated earlier to be spent on law enforcement, is of no special interest to Boehner, who represents people who can afford to send their kids to private school, have good health insurance, and probably live in gated communities with private security officers. There's nothing in it for them.

Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, was on Ed Schultz's show to talk about the bill, and he declared that his union for one, will definitely work hard to elect more Democrats to Congress. This bill isn't going to turn the tide for Democrats and change the dynamic of the midterms, but it will give them a much-needed boost. :-)