[Hey! Don’t forget: second quarterly estimated tax due today.]
But first:
Why Andrew Yang Matters — you read about him here first!
Justice Kavanaugh Wants Us To Know He’s Won (thanks, Glenn — you’ve ruined my day).
And now:
Five myths about Congressional perks.
Short form:
> Members DO pay into Social Security, just like everybody else.
> Members and their staff ARE subject to ObamaCare. Their only way out: coverage through a spouse or parent, or buying coverage on their own, without federal subsidy . . . like anyone else.
> Members do NOT receive a big pension after one term. (E.g.: After 16 years, former Congressman Steve Israel gets $40,000/year. Not nothing — but hardly the $174,000-after-just-one-term frequently alleged.)
> And no — #4 and #5 — they DON’T get free DC housing (unless sleeping on their office couch) and have NOT given themselves raises in the last ten years.
That said, I sure would like your help sweeping out of office those representatives — and senators — who see their role as attempting to block any progress under a Democrat, as with Obama; and defending the indefensible, as with Trump.
We should daily demand that Senate Republicans at least take up — and ideally pass — the 10 bills Democrats in the House have passed this year to make normal Americans’ lives better.