Friday Fun From The Congressional Record: Lessons Learned

Since it’s Friday, I’m going to deviate from All Things Texas Politics today, and share with you the remarks of Congressman Rahm Emanuel, Democratic Congressman for Illinois’ Fifth District, as printed in the Congressional Record for July 12, 2006:

LESSONS LEARNED — (House of Representatives - July 12, 2006)

(Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the President said we would continue to be wise about how we spend the people’s money. Now, this is true. We actually have a Director of Lessons Learned at the White House, who is paid over $100,000.

Maybe I can save the taxpayers $100,000 by running through a few lessons this White House should have learned:

Lesson 1. When the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of State say you are going to war without enough troops, you are going to war without enough troops.

Lesson 2 learned. When $8 billion is missing from Iraq’s reconstruction and $2 billion disappears from Katrina relief, you need a little accountability.

Lesson 3 learned. When you have turned the corner in Iraq more times than Danica Patrick at the Indy 500, it means you are going in circles.

Lesson 4 learned. When the National Weather Service tells you a category 5 hurricane is heading for New Orleans, a category 5 hurricane is heading for New Orleans.

I would also ask the President why we are paying for two Ethics Advisors and a Director of Fact Checking. They must be the only people in Washington who get more vacation time than the President. Maybe the White House can consolidate these positions into a Director of Irony.

It is time for a new direction.