Where’s Don? Rep. Don Young is Most Absent Member of Congress
Once again, Alaska has topped the charts. Even though we have but one lone congressman, he holds a dubious dishonor. Yes, folks, Don Young is the least present member of the United States Congress.
Representative Don Young of Alaska likes to get around his home state, and he does not let his voting schedule get in the way. One Tuesday in July when his fellow House Republicans voted for their signature budget measure, known as Cut, Cap and Balance, Mr. Young was the only one among them to miss the vote, for a charity fishing trip in Whittier.
OK, a fishing trip in Whittier in July… for children with cancer… named after his deceased wife… I totally forgive him for that one, as I’m suspecting do most of my fellow Alaskans. However, that said, Mr. Young has missed 16% of all the votes this year. SIXTEEN percent! What say you to that, Spin Doctor of Don Young, and therefore the most underpaid PR flak in DC:
“There are many things that factor into being an effective member of Congress in addition to voting, such as meeting with constituents,” said Luke Miller, the spokesman, in an e-mail. (Mr. Young did not respond to a request made on the House floor last Thursday to discuss the matter, because, in fact, he was not there.)
Doh!
OK, Mr. Miller. Don’t say any more. Just, …no… don’t!
“It should be noted,” Mr. Miller said, “that Alaska is over 10,000 miles away round trip.”
(I smack the heel of my hand on my forehead while inhaling sharply through clenched teeth)
It should be noted that (including a stop over in Seattle) it’s actually about 7500 miles round trip, AND the two United States Senators from Alaska don’t seem to be having the same problem with distance impeding their ability to do their jobs. Lisa Murkowski has missed 6% of the votes in the Senate, and Mark Begich hasn’t missed a single one.
(insert long saggy deflating note on an accordian for Don Young’s spokesman)
Once again, Alaska has topped the charts. Even though we have but one lone congressman, he holds a dubious dishonor.
We can hope the good people of Alaska can make his absenteeism more permanent,along about a year from now. They are so many others who need to receive their bloated pension plans soon,just to prevent them from harming the vast majority of Americans by being korporate tools. And they aren’t all rwnj.
.
Not sure which is more embarrassing:
When he shows up,
or,
When he doesn’t.
Ack. If Alaskans must insist on re-electing such a dunce, at least he’s not in Congress doing further harm to our country.
Why?
What’s going on in Congress?
He is really kind of a wimp. Several people are more absent than he is. The fact that two are running for president, one has cancer, and the fourth is recovering from a gunshot wound to her head shouldn’t hold him back. I’m sure he can be more absent if he just put a little effort into it.
When comparing the estimable Mr. Dung Yon to my own congressional delegates from Arizona, is it not such a bad thing that he isn’t around to say absolutely crackpot things and further, propose crackpot legislation, thus sparing the state certain embarrassment?
Now, I’m not saying that he should be re-elected or anything, no fear on that question. You could do worse however. Also. Too. Ya betcha.
We have several shades of severely dysfunctional red here, and some of them would probably embarrass even DY with their quotes and their personal philosophies (when I say fascist, I don’t mean moderate conservatives). There are 3 sane blue folk, but with 9 seats total (going to 10 next year), they are not the majority.
The surprise is this: Obama leads in presidential polling in the state for next year. The R’s do not have this state sewed up. We can only hope…
I’m sure they really miss him when he’s not there … like a toothache!
Oops-
“carrying” the record.
Fat thumbs, tiny keypad.
For the benefit of out-of-staters who may not have the dubious fortune of being familiar with our dear Reprehensentative uDung, let me say that this award is by no means a surprise. Even 20-some years ago he held the same record of “most absent from congress”. And while I don’t know where one woild check the year-to-year statistics, I’d put my money on Mr. Dung varrying that record for most of the sessions since then.
Hmm…Congressman Scott McAdams?
Govenor McAdams
Congresswoman Benson
yes, yes
Definitely I want to see Scott McAdams as Governor or Senator, even in that order, sequentially.
There you go.
Hummm, it appears Dungi Youngus is a endangered species.
We otta file a ESA petition. Thru his office.
I have a aunt who wants to wave a ossik at his face.
Just like he did on the floor while speaking.
I just want him to go away.
Oh Diane, save us from this cretin!!!!! <(:}-<
Well, it could have been a 10,000 mile round trip depending on from where in Alaska he flew from…like the end of the Aleutians… (tongue in cheek)…he is such an atrocity…why do we keep electing him? In all the years of voting in Alaska I have YET to cast a vote for him, I wish more folks would wake up.
oh my, Marilyn, I so agree with you. He has never been my representative because I have never voted for him….and you know what he says about that!
I remember when Parnell almost beat him out – that was very telling, as well as bad – and yet, we keep on re-electing him. Who are these people?
“(Mr. Young did not respond to a request made on the House floor last Thursday to discuss the matter, because, in fact, he was not there.)”
Just to clarify – did that mean he was not there to discuss his absences? ?
I especially appreciated the accordian accompaniment.
Take a look at the picture of Don that the Oregonian used when they printed the NY Times article. It’s interesting that it is not the same as the one in the ADN or yours above.
You know, he’s just not that into working for Alaskan’s – unless there’s a fishing trip involved.
As much as it is annoying me how little time Young and Congress are actually working to accomplish meaningful legislation, in this instance maybe its a good thing? One less idiot vote for the GOP obstruction?
But it is typical of Young. Preach, moan and groan about how badly the opposition is doing, ignore the will of your constituents – at least the ones who didn’t vote for you – and then he can just quietly “skip” the vote and voila – he doesn’t have to defend it.
Alaskans need to end the Don Young Error … I mean Era!