This is how democracy works in modern America.
While Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr. (a Republican) speaks to the budget issues under debate in the Connecticut House of Representatives, his colleagues are busy playing solitaire on their computers, checking on their baseball team, and who knows what else.
But what's the problem? There's only $37 billion involved. It's not like it's a serious matter before the legislators.
Sigh. Your tax dollars at work.
The Associated Press photo is, of course, a pretty damaging one to Representatives Barbara Lambert, a freshman Democrat from Milford, and Jack F. Hennessy, a Democrat from Bridgeport, who are shown engrossed in their card games. (It's not yet known whose laptop was showing the ball game.)
But the damage to the reputations of these Democrat legislators isn't because of the mainstream press playing up the photo but rather because of it being highlighted by Michelle Malkin and Matt Drudge -- which then forces other "old guard" newspapers (a few anyhow) to finally, begrudgingly, even defensively cover the story themselves.
Once again, the blogosphere shows its independence...and its muscle. And, once again, citizens are shown how they're being bamboozled by the people they elect to serve their interests.