Even Laying and Collecting Excises Begins to Bore Them

America, your lawmakers are bored.

By Tuesday morning cooler heads prevailed, and the number of votes was pared back to three. By that time, though, all of the scheduled hearings had been canceled, leaving a lot of miffed and sheepish senators.

“I look around,” Mr. Lott said, “and think, ‘Am I the only one who thinks this is stupid?’ “

Senator Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, said, “It’s sort of arrogant of us, isn’t it, scheduling them and then not keeping our appointments?”

“This job sucks,” said Missouri lawmaker Jim Talent. “I bet the Executive Branch has way more fun,” he added, before making a motion to adjourn to their rooms, slam the doors, and listen to music really loud.

The motion was ignored by Senator Frist, however, who said, “Dude! Did you know we get to ‘define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas’?”

Senate Scrubs Hearings As Politics Trump Policy In an Election Year [NYT]

READ MORE: arrogance, bill first, ennui, jim talent, piracy, sam brownback, senate, trent lott