Aside from the vital importance of paying tribute to Jackson, Congress has also taken it upon itself to investigate Sammy Sosa's alleged steroid use and the Bowl Championship Series. No wonder the members of Congress treat themselves to the finest medical care government cash can buy -- the stress and pressure of healing the world takes its toll.
That must be why the fresh and clean Democratic Congress busts the budget with fancy trips for its members. According to the Wall Street Journal, spending on overseas travel is up 300 percent since 2001; taxpayers are now picking up the tab on congressional delegations, which is up by 70 percent since 2005. Some of these crucial "we are the world" fact-finding missions to exotic places include a February trip to Italy for eight Democratic Congresspeople led by Pelosi. Cost: $57,697. Knowing you've stimulated Italy's economy: Priceless.
Then there's Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., who took a four-day trip to the Galapagos Islands with his wife, four legislators, and their families. The purpose: learning about global warming. Baird and Co. could have simply called the Galapagos for a weather report. Instead, they shelled out $22,000 of our money. That trip must have been a thriller.
There could be a reason Congress is spending so much time feting Michael Jackson: Congressmen and Jackson have so much in common. Congressmen, like Jackson, are disproportionate clients of plastic surgery clinics (just ask Pelosi). Congressmen, like Jackson, are sitting on piles of cash they can spend at will. And Congressmen, like Jackson, live in Neverland.