These People Are the Best and the Brightest?

The Washington Post divulges a little secret about Congress - they're not as smart as they'd like you to believe:

But Democratic leaders, who said they hope to approve the bailout plan by the end of the week, were having their own trouble rallying the rank and file. House Democrats summoned to a lunchtime meeting to discuss the proposal yesterday received a glossary of financial terms, such as "credit default swap" and "illiquid assets."

And yet the media treats every word from the mouth of people like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd as though it were chiseled on a stone tablet.

You don't have to be all that smart to make it to Congress. You just have to win.