May 18, 2007

Bacon Bits

Some folks, including sate Rep. Curry Todd and VolunteerVoters.com blogger A.C. Kleinheider, are down on state Rep. Brian Kelsey because he objected to the state House Democrats' plan for $20 million in pork projects by waving an envelop full of bacon. (Ben Cunningham has video of WSMV's story on Kelsey's bacon bit.)

But Martin Kennedy defends Kelsey:

Republican Rep Curry Todd rose to rebuke Rep Brian Kelsey who is choosing to reject money that legislators might get to spend in their respective districts. He characterized what Kelsey was doing as "grandstanding" and "trying to attract media attention."

Good Rep. Todd. If you want to stay in the minority you are doing precisely the right thing.

Some legislators have a minority mentality. They actually, deep down, prefer to be in the minority because they have the prestige of position without the responsibility of having real power. They can carp from the back bench, or play the majority's games and win scraps from the majority's table, but when push comes to shove they can tell the voters in their district that it isn't their fault they can't get things done.

Rep. Brian Kelsey is not one of those losers.