Waiting 12 hours to shake Obama's hand

If you live in Congressional District 17 of New York State and were wondering where your Congressman was on Tuesday, he was sitting in an aisle seat in the House chamber, waiting to shake President Obama's hand. Nothing wrong with that, until you realize how much time Rep. Eliot Engel spent in the seat before Obama arrived to address Congress. More than 12 hours! And you thought you didn't have a life!

Engel has staked out an aisle seat hours in advance each year since President George H.W. Bush's address to a joint session of Congress in 1989. This morning, he snagged an aisle seat at 8:30 a.m. and sat there all day, save for a few bathroom and snack breaks.

Speaking to us by cell phone earlier today from the House floor, he said, "It's an honor to shake the hand of the president of the United States no matter who it is." [Link]

Yeah, buddy, I'm sure it IS an honor, but don't you have anything better to do with your time, such as trimming your nose hair?

Sure enough, when the president entered the House chamber to deliver his address, Engel got his presidential handshake. And he got a little more face time on Obama's way out.

So did dozens of others who clamored for the aisles, many wielding pens and programs of tonight's speech for the president to sign. [Link]

If I were Obama, I'd be careful which programs I signed.

Engel: "Great news, New Yorkers! I'm starting a Friday Night Prostitution Program!"

New Yorker: "Wonderful! But wait a minute ... is that legal?"

Engel: "Of course it is! The president has signed off on it."

Comments

[Dennis]

An ankle monitor should immediately be placed on Congressman Engel's left leg so that we may be able to verify his location. During these hard times, we expect his overpaid, over-benefited, and over-vacationed posterior to be in his office and working 12 hours a day for the American people. Taxpayers sign his paycheck! He is pathetic.