Joe wins Chutzpah Award

I say we hold a party for Joe and 4 other Republican Congressmen from Michigan that this week had the gall to send a letter to fellow Republicans asking them to hold the line against the Democrats raising taxes in Michigan to balance the budget. Here's how the Free Press put it.

Frugal advice from D.C. big spenders

Let's give this week's chutzpah award to the five members of Congress from Michigan who sent a letter to their fellow Republicans in the state Legislature urging them to "stand firm" against raising taxes and concentrate on cutting spending and reforming government.

How much advice would you take from people who are part of a government carrying a $9-trillion debt and expecting to run a $160-billion deficit this year? The federal government has the luxury of being able to spend more than it takes in and borrow to pay its bills. The State of Michigan cannot do so, which is why all this wrangling over a deficit of $1.8 billion.

The federal government pays more than $400 billion a year just in interest on the national debt. So the real message from U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers, Fred Upton, Joe Knollenberg, Thad McCotter and Tim Walberg would seem to be, do as we say, not as we do.


Joe's got it back asswards again.