TGIF

Ah, Friday. Enjoying some Starbucks Breakfast Blend and a little C-Span this morning. As you are well aware, Brian Lamb is my hero. It's all good.

I am taking son to the Galleria later this morning for a couple of hours so he can meet some friends and hang a bit. This is not the norm for him as I refuse to raise a mall rat. I pray it is not too crazy there today with all the kiddos out of school.

An interesting story is beginning to get a little notice of the media these past few days. It is the story of Congressman Alan Mollohan of West Virginia. Rep. Mollohan is the ranking member of the House Ethics committee on the Democrat side. He is the ranking member on the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Mollohan's personal net worth has grown from about $100,000 in 2000 to about $11.4 million in his filing last year. This is according to his required disclosure forms. Mr. Mollohan has steered at least $178 million to nonprofit groups in his district over the past five years using earmarks. A former staffer is the head of a non-profit foundation back home in West Virginia financed by earmarks put into the budget by Rep. Mollohan. He has set up his own family foundation and employs members of his family on the payroll. He buys real estate with a group of friends and they have done very well in these developments.

These friends donate to his campaigns, run non-profits set up by guidance from Rep. Mollohan, and the are paid quite handsomely. Again, Rep. Mollohan is the senior Democrat on the House Ethics Committee.

This is why the battle cry previously relished by the campaigning Democrats of "climate of corruption" within the Republican party and their leadership is going nowhere with the American people. The Democrats are going to have to bit the bullet and actually come up with some policies and how to execute them instead of just name calling like school kids and being the party of no. Their constituents deserve better.

"When I hear somebody sigh, "Life is hard," I am always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?" - Sydney J. Harris