Chutzpah: Ray LaHood Says Congress Should Come Back From Vacation or Something

His boss is heading for a lavish Martha's Vineyard vacation later this month, but that's OK, apparently. But one of his stooges is telling Congress to skip theirs. Funny, but I could swear Congress has been in DC working on the so-called debt crisis.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urged lawmakers today to come back from their summer vacations and vote on legislation to end the Federal Aviation Administration shutdown.

Since I'm on vacation, perhaps I missed this, but did anyone know the FAA was shut down?

“Come back to Washington! Leave your vacations! Just for a couple hours, come back, Congress!” LaHood said at the White House press briefing today. “End your vacation for a couple days, get off the beach, get out of your mobile homes or whatever you're traveling in, come back to Washington, pass a bill.”

It’s been over a week since the FAA shut down for the first time in history after Congress failed to pass a bill to continue its funding. For twelve days now, nearly 4,000 FAA employees have been furloughed and as many as 70,000 construction workers have been out of work.

“When it comes to creating jobs, members of Congress give a lot of great speeches…They talk the talk, but they have not walked the walk,” LaHood said. “For members of Congress to give speeches about jobs and then go on their vacations while construction workers have vacated their jobs rings very hollow.”

His boss also talks a great game about jobs, but I ask: Where are they?

Meanwhile, Obama will be on a three-day "listening" tour of the midwest before he departs for Martha's Vineyard. You know, to make it appear as if he gives a rat's ass.

President Obama will travel the Midwest by bus this summer to talk up the White House’s job-creation efforts and to try to shore up political support in battleground states.

Obama will embark on a three-day tour, from Aug. 15 to 17. The administration said Wednesday that the trip had long been planned but wouldn't outline an itinerary beyond saying the stops would be in the Midwest.

Sure, he'll come off like a regular Joe. He could have done something about jobs in the 30 months he's been on the job, but apparently was too busy destroying the economy.