Tripping up their credibility

Tripping up their credibility

Kansas City Star: Hey, it’s hard work fulminating in Washington about executive perks and pay.

Members of Congress have spent hours expressing outrage over CEOs’ outlandish salaries, bonuses and trips. And getting the stimulus bill passed was a long, hard slog.

So who is to fault some lawmakers for using the winter recess as an opportunity to get out of Dodge?

Lots of people. More so than in most years, the overseas journeys popular among members of Congress are raising eyebrows at home.

Politicians should have seen the backlash coming. Americans are worried about their finances and the nation’s economy. They’re postponing purchases and putting vacation plans on hold. And the federal deficit is exploding.

This would have been a good year for elected representatives to stay home and show solidarity with constituents.

Off they went

Some did. But plenty set off on trips paid for either by U.S. taxpayers or by sponsors.

The most high-profile traveler was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who connected with her Italian roots on a trip to Rome. Pelosi led a delegation of Congress members, staff and spouses that traveled on an Air Force jet.

She met with the pope and with U.S. troops and NATO officials. But news footage also showed the speaker visiting museums and being presented with a copy of her Italian grandparents’ birth records.

In normal times, these trips could perhaps be defended as educational and good for international relations. But these times are anything but normal. Members of Congress shouldn’t be surprised if constituents resent them for treading too close to the behavior for which they so roundly criticized corporate executives.