INDReporter

This explains everything: $1,381 per day

by Walter Pierce

Let us wonder no more why members of Congress are so feverish about keeping their jobs or why the Boustany-Landry runoff has been such a muddy affair.

Let us wonder no more why members of Congress are so feverish about keeping their jobs or why the race for a single House seat between incumbent Reps. Charles Boustany and Jeff Landry has been such a muddy affair. Hallelujah and pass the payola, the mystery has been solved.

Rep. Eric Cantor, the House majority leader from Virginia, has released the 2013 work calendar for the 113th Congress, which convenes on Jan. 3. Cantor's office was kind enough to block off the actual days when representatives are expected to be at the Capitol doing the people's business - fussin' and fightin' and wrong-rightin'. It's 126 days by our count. Second-grade subtraction concludes that those hard-working men and women in the august lower chamber get 239 days off in 2013.

Rank and file members of the House "earn" $174,000 per year. That comes to $1,381 a day. Granted, reps get an abundance of three-day weekends to travel to their home districts and meet with constituents. And attend fundraisers. And go golfing with lobbyists and travel on special interests' dimes. Nice work if you can get, as they say.

Now get back to your crappy job!