Pelosi's Abusive Workplace

It doesn't sound like it's much fun on Capitol Hill these days, according to this report from Political Diary:

Those who wondered how the new Democratic House would conduct business after the "100 Hours" burst of activity got a taste this week. It's beginning to look like the legislative sausage factory will qualify as an abusive workplace under its new management.

Last Friday, Democratic leaders were sheparding to passage a routine bill that bars convicted members of Congress from getting Congressional pensions when the legislation was suddenly yanked off the floor. When Congress reconvened on Monday, the bill had been mysteriously changed -- its effective date was moved back almost two years, to January 1, 2009. Democrats claimed since the bill would change the compensation of some former members of Congress, it would fall afoul of the 27th Amendment, which prevents any Congressional pay change from taking effect until the next Congress.

Republicans, noting that the criticism had never come up in any of the bill's hearings in the last Congress, were skeptical. "Who are they trying to protect?" one staffer wondered, noting that Democrat Alan Mollohan of West Virginia is under active FBI investigation and Bill "Freezer Cash" Jefferson of Louisiana is expected to be indicted on corruption charges.

But Democrats weren't done making changes in the bill. The Evans and Novak Political Report notes that staffers also altered the offenses that could disqualify a member from receiving a pension even as the bill was being brought to the floor on Tuesday. In an embarrassing moment, freshman Rep. Nancy Boyda of Kansas, the ostensible author of the pension provision, had to sit quietly by "as Democratic leaders scribbled last-minute changes to the bill right in front of her."

Some Republicans dismiss such amateur-hour tactics as inevitable after Democrats have been out of power for 12 years. But others see a pattern of heavy-handedness that increasingly characterizes the House of Pelosi, and may gradually stir up resentment among younger reform-minded members.

I don't think the House rookies are going to like being treated like sock puppets, but at this point they don't dare fight back. That will change.

Oh, by the way, you can't call the rookies "freshmen" anymore:

Among the things attendees at this morning's National Journal /NBC post-SOTU breakfast learned was that it is no longer politically correct in the House Dem caucus to refer to the newly elected members from '06 as "Freshmen." How did we learn this? House Maj. Whip Jim Clyburn referred to the "freshmen" and then corrected himself and then went on to admit the new policy. Freshman, er newly elected Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA) told the crowd that he "suspected" it had something to do with the word "new" being more appealing to the public than "freshman," which can be seen by some as derogatory. So there ya go!

From now one they will be known as "fresh meat".