More Transit Funding For Anti-Government Protests!

This really is truly hysterical.

Protesters who attended Saturday’s Tea Party rally in Washington found a new reason to be upset: Apparently they are unhappy with the level of service provided by the subway system.

Rep. Kevin Brady asked for an explanation of why the government-run subway system didn’t, in his view, adequately prepare for this past weekend’s rally to protest government spending and government services.

Seriously.

I hate to be a bother, but, why take the government-run subway system if you don't like government spending?

Some seriously great lines in this, such as:

Brady wrote. “These participants, whose tax dollars were used to create and maintain this public transit system, were frustrated and disappointed that our nation’s capital did not make a great effort to simply provide a basic level of transit for them.”

Steve Benen put it best: "Replace 'transit' with 'health care'."

There's also this:

Brady says in his letter to Metro that overcrowding forced an 80-year-old woman and elderly veterans in wheelchairs to pay for cabs. He concludes that it “appears that Metro added no additional capacity to its regular weekend schedule.”

Isn't this the free enterprise system at work? If people use their own money to pay for cabs, shouldn't we celebrate that kind of entrepreneurial spirit where everyone is a Dagny Taggart and John Galt boldly determining their own fate through the market?

Of course, when these whiny protesters don't get what they want from government, they appeal to government to take care of the problem. And the federal government has not provided a dedicated source of revenue for Metro, forcing cutbacks. Do you think Kevin Brady will sponsor a bill now to provide funding for Metro so the trains can run on time? In other words, is his answer to expand government?

No. He's a selfish crank who wants to complain about things when he and his pals want to use them, but demonize them otherwise.

...as predicted, Kevin Brady previously voted against funding for Metro.

Gay Marriage Snowball Continues Downhill

Maine passed a gay marriage bill out of both houses of its legislature. After a couple procedural votes, the bill moves to Governor John Baldacci's desk for signature. He has recently hinted toward approval while officially remaining undecided.

And the City Council in Washington, DC, approved recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages, with Marion Barry (yes, he's still a city councilman in Washington) playing the role of sideshow freak:

The vote was originally unanimous, until “councilman Marion Barry proclaimed that he didn’t realize what he was voting for and asked for reconsideration of the measure. The measure was amended to another bill.” Berry said that his nay vote was an “‘agonizing and difficult decision’ that he made after prayer and consulting with the religious community.”

When your only ally is Marion Barry, you aren't in the most advantageous position.

Notably, the DC Council vote forces a vote before Congress, because they hold jurisdiction over city laws. That could get interesting.