The President's Jobs Bill

Over at the Althouse blog we get the title "Text at last:  The American Jobs Act", but the reality is not so much.

Here is the link to the White House web Site for the American Jobs Act.  It says "Read All the Details", but what we don't have is the text of the proposed bill.

This is just one more example that confirms to me that when the Congress Critters vote that is not the real bill, for the staffers are still making changes to the "bill" as it goes to the President's Desk, and maybe beyond.  This morning I had to go into downtown Lowell with someone who has some insight into how the process works and this person remarked that the AAs (the Administrative Assistants) are the ones with the power on Capitol Hill.  If you are looking for why a lot of middle aged and older folks have been going to Tea Party rallies and meetings, it is because of this sort of thing.  Those sort of folks think that at least Members of the House of Representatives are still like John Quincy Adams and Davy Crocket—straight, honorable men.  And I bet most of the current stock of men and women in Congress are honorable, but one wonders if they are more than rubber stamps for their leadership.  This raises the question of if the reforms instituted under Speaker Newt Gingrich helped or hurt the institution.  Quoting from Wikipedia:

Shortly after the Republicans won the House majority, Gingrich promised that the House would be on the Internet by the opening day of the 104th United States Congress. In January 1995, Gingrich and the Library of Congress unveiled THOMAS, an Internet-accessible database of congressional information. THOMAS initially included text versions of bills of the 103rd United States Congress, directory information, and other legislative materials. Commenting on the new system, Gingrich said, "This will change the balance of power in America toward the citizens out of the Beltway. There will be a shift to talking about ideas, not personalities."

Maybe.

At the end of the day this is not about the President, a man with only a veto pen and a bully pulpit.  This is about the US Congress, which writes legislation.

Regards  —  Cliff