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Written by Austin Mitchell
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07 August 2007 |
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Washington has a rule for senators and Congressmen. They’re not allowed to employ wives and members of their family on congressional pay roles. Quite right too. I never have and won`t. Instead of concentrating on such petty issues as how much money MPs spend on travel when those who live furthest away inevitably spend most, we should concentrate on such examples of corruption as keeping the secretarial allowances in the family by employing wives, mistresses, kids or relatives. Some MPs pay all their allowances to their wives because there’s no limit on how much wives are paid. That’s a cheat on the taxpayer.
Current row in Washington: Hilary Clinton’s cleavage. It shows because cameras in their legislature as in parliament shoot down. No one noticed before but then Jacqui Smith`s first appearance in Parliament was shown on TV here. Suddenly Cleavage in the Commons startled Americans. “Why don`t you have a word with her and tell her how bad it looks?” one journalist said to me. I don’t think I will. It`s more attractive than Charles Clarke’s stomach.
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Gordon Brown said what he had to say in his press conference with George Bush at Camp David. No complaints from me but I was delighted that he didn’t strut in and out like Blair used to. Indeed he wandered off in a different direction, nice symbolism, until he woke up and got back on track. Fortunately for both the questioning was pathetic. Trick clever questions as if they were barristers in court. Could they seriously be expecting Gordon to break down and confess, ”My God you’re right. I’ll pull our troops out. Why didn’t I think of that?” So in default of that press and prez made lame jokes and then laughed uproariously. Anyone less funny than George Bush has proved themselves a serious politician. |
