Stinky

I worked in the US Senate for nine years of my life through hot and sultry summers and never noticed a smelly tourist. Harry Reid’s comments are unclear as to their intent, to humor or render a sober opinion about what he really thinks about hard working Americans who have traveled to our Nation’s Capitol with their children for summer vacation.

While it is true that DC summers are hot and humid and it is no treat to stand in line outside of anything, it is also true that most Americans wear deodorant, shower, and usually do not smell. I pride myself on a tremendous ability to detect smell and my observation over nine years has been that summer tourists to the Capital are not stinking up the place.

If Leader Reid is like most of his colleagues, little time is spent in the company of tourists. The comments probably reflect more of an elitist attitude toward the unwashed masses in desperate need of leadership from above. The propensity to look down one’s snoot has plagued many an elitist for quite some time. Even our President-elect almost blew his opportunity by making off hand comments about Pennsylvanians clinging to guns and religion in much the same vein.

Sarah Palin’s popularity continues to amaze many in such elitist circles who have become so far removed from ordinary Americans that they no longer recognize the real deal and criticize or ridicule any effort at elevation. Hence the term limousine liberal. Perhaps a weekend in Wasilla might be healthy or a day spent with tourists discussing real life and exactly what they meant in voting for change. Perhaps we’d like to be treated with respect for being the backbone of this country for a change.

Now that the smell in the Capitol has been eradicated, our great leaders can get back to the task of meeting with lobbyists begging for a piece of the federal bailout of everything but us. Perhaps Senator Reid is correct, we are sweating a bit too much, but not because of the humidity in Washington but rather the realization that we are all going to have to pay for the trillions being handed out to make up for their public policy failings of the past decade.

Yes things smell, but it is not us.