Rep. Bill Sali and 'Political Theater' of the Absurd

Walt Minnick's campaign is blasting opponent Rep. Bill Sali for not attending a House committee hearing investigating the $85 billion dollar bailout of insurance giant AIG.  Sali spokesman Wayne Hoffman said Sali skipped the hearing because Democratic Chairman Henry Waxman has a reputation for 'grandstanding,' and later Sali himself characterized the hearings as 'Political Theater' where no legislation was being considered.

I don't agree, especially after we learned that AIG execs went on a $440,000 retreat to an upscale California resort the week after the government bailed the company out.  That's 'grandstanding?'

Or how about the revelation that AIG's top executives publicly said the company was on sound financial footing when auditors were telling them the exact opposite behind the scenes.  As ABC Investigative Reporter Brian Ross noted, that's the exact thing that put Enron executives in prison.  'Political Theater?'  Really? 

Oh, and we also learned the employee who apparently caused most of AIG's losses was given a golden parachute and a million dollar a month consulting contract.  If Congress sold tickets to this kind of 'Political Theater,' we would balance the budget in weeks.

This is indicative of the sort of things that gets Sali into trouble.  A new Walt Minnick ad where local Republicans state publicly why they are voting for the Democrat features a retired General who says of Sali, "He's too confrontational."  I think that resonates with a lot of people.  One conservative Republican even told me she's voting for Minnick just to get Sali out of office so she can vote for a less of a ... well ... 'confrontational' (she used a different, less flattering adjective) Republican two years from now.  Governor Otter has also criticized Sali during an interview with 'Today's 6 News' about his lack of pragmatism, sentiments Rep. Mike Simpson seemed to echo during the bailout bill debate.

Sali's political posture is pretty clear.  If put to a vote, Sali would have never approved of the bailout of AIG.  Sali is a firm believer in 'sink or swim' capitalism and I suspect believes these AIG executives earned every bad thing they have coming to them.  But because he is ideologically opposed to government interference in private commerce, he also sees no need for Congress to aggressively question the heads of private companies.

Sali's pragmatic problem is the government did go ahead and bail out AIG ... even adding $35 billion more to the package ... and now has a responsibility to practice strong oversight to protect taxpayer dollars.  Just because Sali lost the argument doesn't mean he as our representative has no responsibility to Idaho taxpayers who are now on the hook.

Sali also doesn't serve his cause by insulting rather than saying nice things about Democrats when they do good work.  After all, knowledge is power, and what we learned from the AIG hearing will help us repair this awful mess we find ourselves in.  That's not 'grandstanding' or 'political theater.'  That's public service that could one day lead to important legislation.  I'm not saying Sali should apologize, but would a nice note be too much to ask?  "Dear Henry.  Great work on the AIG hearing!  Wish I could have been there to see you make those greedy bastard CEOs squirm.  Bill."

Minnick's camp is making some mischief because it is a big issue, but also in part because in a tight race, they would prefer Sali stay in Washington then campaign for re-election here.  There were a lot of empty seats at the AIG hearing from Republican and Democratic Congressmen alike who are locked in tight election fights.  Sali being there probably would not have really added much and I don't think him skipping the hearings is that big a deal. 

Sali's rhetoric, however, is a big deal.  Confrontational statements that belittles Congressional oversight of private companies that are being bailed out in the billions sends the wrong message.  Whether he agrees with what's going on or not, taxpayers can't afford representatives in Congress who aren't willing to closely watch every penny our government now has at stake.

Comments

[Kyla Pickrell]

Mr. Sali,
I am from TX and I have read some articles that you have written over the past years. I want to stand in support of you. I may not have the right to vote for you, but you stand for me! I responded today to some posted that were against you:

I agree that we all have equal rights and that we all have the freedom to live, play, and yes worship who and how we choose. Lets not forget that even though it may not be popular, In GOD we trust is on our money, ONE nation under GOD is in our pledge, our courts, capital, White House and many many other institution are bathed in scripture and spiritual references. You may not like it, you do not have to follow it, but this nation was founded on God.

The first school text books, well it was mainly one, the bible! Our laws steam form the biblical law. Yet, not every founding father was a Christian and it is great that we have the freedom to choose. The LETTER that states "separation of church and state" well that was written in the context to keep state out of church not to amend the constitution by way precedence to keep God out of state!

War has its place in our history! War has its way in the Bible. So, lets think about war. People died to give us the right to worship freely. God fearing men gave you the right to disagree with Christianity, with their lives. Joke and poke fun and the rights values, but this nation was meant to show God! Your issues arise, because you cannot remove all of the examples that or on all of our money, on our walls of government, and in our history. You must degrade Christianity, because you cannot remove it. Try as you may, God still is in America and you can fight that historical proof, but you have not won this war!

We were founded on God and you maybe attached buy those who seek to remove God from our History. Though at time it may look like you stand alone, you are not. When you stand for God, God will choose to work. As the former USC student that was the first to stand up in 20 years against the professor that challenge that if God was real he could stop this chalk from breaking, and for 20 years no one had the courage to challenge him. On the day someone stood alone in front of 300 people the chalk did not break and 300 people got the chance to hear how God was real.

Please never stop challenging those who seek to destroy and remove God from our history. You were called for a purpose!