Okay, they are trying to bully the entire country, so this may not seem like such a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But, it’s a symptom of a much larger problem in the halls of Congress. Plus, it’s still really jerky, Better Than You ™ behavior. It’s also incredibly stupid ; the Hill cops are meant to protect them. From The Hill:
Capitol Hill cops decry bullying staff members
U.S. Capitol Police officers say they need more backing from their leaders to stop congressional staffers who insist on bypassing metal detectors when entering the Capitol with lawmakers.
Several officers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Hill that without a written directive of the policy, they’re left to face bullying staffers and intimidating lawmakers who have been known to file complaints against the officers. The staffers have accused them of discourteous treatment after being stopped and directed to the magnetometers.
Wow. They file complaints against Hill police for doing their jobs because they feel that they are too important and above complying with the rules? I suppose we should be glad that they all don’t physically hit Hill police, like the ever classy Rep. Cynthia McKinney did.
It’s also funny how they constantly pass security measures that WE must all comply with, but they are, of course, above it all. This is just another instance of “Do as we say, not as we do.” Not too long ago, Senator Schumer was a prime example of such unwarranted and icky hubris, when he harassed a flight attendant for doing her job.
Senator Chuck Schumer not only feels an overbearing sense of entitlement, but he goes so far as to berate others for doing their job. Of course, he doesn’t really know what an actual job is.
Schumer and his seatmate, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), were chatting on their phones before takeoff when an announcement indicated that it was time to turn off the phones. Both senators kept talking. According to the GOP aide, a flight attendant then approached Schumer and told him the entire plane was waiting on him to shut down his phone.
Schumer asked if he could finish his conversation. When the flight attendant said “no,” Schumer ended his call but continued to argue his case. He said he was entitled to keep his phone on until the cabin door was closed. The flight attendant said he was obliged to turn it off whenever a flight attendant asked.
“He argued with her about the rule,” the source said. “She said she doesn’t make the rules, she just follows them.” When the flight attendant walked away, the witness says Schumer turned to Gillibrand and uttered the B-word.
Worse, they are using their authority to make people afraid of doing their jobs, which puts other people’s lives at risk.
The problems enforcing security protocol surfaced less than two weeks after a gunman dressed like a Pentagon employee opened fire on two officers at an entrance to the building, wounding three officers in the process. And three years ago, a staff member for Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) was arrested trying to carry a loaded pistol and two loaded ammunition clips into the Russell Senate Office Building in a briefcase.
Of course, why would pesky rules and safety regulations matter to people who feel no qualms about stomping all over The Constitution? And why would they care about people just trying to do their jobs, when they don’t care about jobs? Or, you know, the will of the people even.
I’d like to file a complaint against them. I think that we will; in November.
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Cross-posted at NewsReal
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
GOP Ops Need To Figure Out Immediately Who These Staffers Belong To...
IJB Wednesday, March 17th at 4:04PM EST (link)…And start running ads in the offending Congressman’s (or Senator’s) district.
This is exactly the kind of “cut through the bull” example of arrogance that will really, really get Indie voters steamed up.
The GOP needs to take this Culture of Arrogance/Culture of Corruption theme, and *run* with it. *Hard*.
And if it's GOP staffers misbehaving...
RedBeard Wednesday, March 17th at 4:08PM EST (link)…they should get the boot as well.
Standard-bearer for grouchy curmudgeonry since, oh, 1975 or so.
One set of rules for thee, another set for me
RedBeard Wednesday, March 17th at 4:05PM EST (link)Typical of the ruling class mentality.
I liked your last sentence, Lori. Memo to everyone in the Capitol, including the 535 elected ones: You work for us. As our employees, we demand that you adhere to the rules. This is your verbal warning. Should you persist in flaunting the rules, you will be terminated.
Standard-bearer for grouchy curmudgeonry since, oh, 1975 or so.
This happens everytime a Dem is in the White House.
Vassar Bushmills (Diary) Wednesday, March 17th at 4:14PM EST (link)It’s just in the water. There’s a Pulitzer in it for whoever goes around and writes a book about kitchen help, custodial staff, security, etc in the White House and Congress going to Nixon. LBJ was a jerk, but compared to the rest of the Dem’s that have come thru since, the Johnson were up-town class.
Who was the Dem aide to Hillary who denied testimony of a uniformed Secret Service Guard in the FBI tapes investigation. Denise? He said he saw her with a stack of files, and she said he didn’t. And the clincher was that he had contradicted a lawyer. Case closed.
Time to go get this bunch.
They count on nobody daring to complain and
Achance (Diary) Wednesday, March 17th at 5:03PM EST (link)usually they’re right. In government, you can usually get away with POings really important people, but don’t PO a clerk, janitor, or security guard/cop; they know the real stuff and they’ll rat you off in a heartbeat.
In Vino Veritas
"None shall pass."
Kenny Solomon (Diary) Wednesday, March 17th at 5:02PM EST (link)“I am uber-Socialist Democrat, King Of America.”
–silence, no physical reaction–
“I seek the finest and the bravest uber-Socialist Democrats in the land to join me in my court at an about-to-be completely irrelevant Congress.”
–again…. silence, no physical reaction–
“Capitol Police Person, you have proved yourself un-worthy. You will never join me.”
still nothing but –silence, no physical reaction–
“Capitol Police Person, you make me sad. So be it. Come, (every Obama) Patsy.”
“None shall pass.”
“What ?”
“None shall pass.”
“I have no quarrel with you, good sir Capitol Police Person, but I must bypass this Magnetometer.”
“Then you shall vote ‘NAY’ on HR 3200.”
“I command you, as uber-Socialist Democrat, King Of America to stand aside.”
“I move for no Constitution-usurping, oath-of-office-failing, uber-Socialist Democrat King Of America.”
“So be it !”
…………uber-Socialist Democrat King Of America looks around a bit to see if any typical bitter God-clinging tea-baggers are there as witnesses who may cause a problem with the uber-Socialist Democrat King Of America’s and (every Obama) Patsy’s whining, crying, stomping their little feet…….. and then, uber-Socialist Democrat King Of America and (every Obama) Patsy simply start walking around the barrier to the entrance…………..
Capitol Police Person and his fourteen heavily armed partners at the entrance, draw down on uber-Socialist Democrat King Of America and (every Obama) Patsy, shouting “Freeze, all of you ! Don’t even blink !”
=============
Hey, a guy can dream still…….. yes ?
I get the feeling the Capitol Police
vamoose Wednesday, March 17th at 6:38PM EST (link)are often with directives from congress. Remember when Pelosi turned out the lights in the House in August of 2008? I had the opportunity to visit my congressman and was able to sit on the house floor and watch Mike Pence, John Boehner and other GOP congressman. The staffer of that escorted me talked with the Capitol Police at one point and asked about taking me to the House floor. He said, “we don’t have any instructions about that. If you want to go, we can’t stop you.” We weren’t able to bypass metal detectors though.
That said, there’s no excuse for a staffer to exploit the toothlessness of the Capitol Police, especially when it comes to matter of security.
Imputing a lot
ryan_8287 Wednesday, March 17th at 9:09PM EST (link)from very little info, no? The article doesn’t attribute any party affiliation, but you specifically called out only Democrats in your post. Smart money says an overbearing sense of entitlement is distributed evenly across both sides of the aisle.
I didn't mention party affiliation either, except
Lori Ziganto (Diary) Wednesday, March 17th at 9:17PM EST (link)in the two blatant recent examples of such behavior. Both McKinney and Schumer are Democrats, aren’t they? Or, McKinney was at the time of her “incident.” She’s in the Green Party now, unless she switched yet again.
Also known as SnarkandBoobs
Capitol police can handle staffer easily.
archer52 Thursday, March 18th at 7:54AM EST (link)This is easy peasy- just let anyone who claims to be a staffer through. Tell the Congressmen they were right all along and a new policy is in effect. Anyone waving credentials and claiming to be a staffer can bypass the metal detectors. Anyone. Of course remind them that could get dicey at best, but the police will do their level best to handle any future hostage situations involving congressmen and staffers with the least amount of life lost as possible…
Truth is all those poor cops are is the new version of the Praetorian guard. If they wanted to clean up the arrogant staffers, you’d see some drug dog open air walk by’s in the staff parking lot or in the halls. They aren’t there to be cops, they are there to be fodder if something goes wrong.
Arrogant Congress-above their own rules
diehardpatriot Thursday, March 18th at 11:22AM EST (link)Now all who have heard about the missing original 13th Amendment that was somehow illegally removed from the Constitution that basically barred lawyers from holding office in government. They along with big bankers are the prime cause of most if not all of our financial problems. The present 13th amendment forbids slavery—-you know being forced into slavery with no rights to refuse…sounds like this scam of a so-called health care scam doesn’t it?
More important truth
lightfootletters Thursday, March 18th at 2:19PM EST (link)US Constitution Victim of Congressional Arrogance !