The Congress has done it again. For some reason, these men (and yes, they are men, they are white, they are wealthy, the whole set of often-quoted pieces) feel that by virtue of being elected in South Dakota, or Georgia, or North Carolina they are entitled to dictate what the residents of the District of Columbia can and can't do.

Historically, DC has always been Congress's little back yard, the place where these elected men could practice their breed of totalitarianism before shipping it overseas. Never mind the "all men are created equal" side of things, nor the "equal protection" business that their predecessors crafted into words. You can even choose to ignore the whole "no taxation without representation" episode. Congressmembers have always treated DC as their playpen, tossing riders into appropriations bills that are tantamount to decrees thrust upon an unsuspecting--and ultimately powerless--District.

I'm just amazed at how Republicans in Congress, so intent on talking about taking the government back to the people and getting the Federal government out of people's lives are also so willing to micromanage a city they were not elected to represent. Bob Barr, a Georgia representative whose wonderful contributions to our national heritage include a joint resolution limiting US citizenship to children of citizens or legal residents also feels entitled to restrict the rights of lawful citizens to vote and hear about their own initiatives. Hence, he has no problem proposing a de-facto ban on the counting of votes on a ballot initiative in the District. Not to mention that his on-line biography lists his leading the charge to rename Washington National Airport in Arlington, VA in honor of Ronald the Slayer--despite the fact that the residents of the 8th Congressional District of VA (where I live and where the airport is located) were overwhelmingly against the renaming. It seems like there just isn't that much legislating to be done for Smyrna, GA.

Then again, the Democratic party isn't a whole lot better when it comes to this. The president has approved bills with riders on DC left and right without so much as a comment. Dem members of Congress oppose tenuous, if any, opposition to republiCats' schemes and maneuvers. Not only that, some even participate in this business of District bashing. Perhaps they think District residents are not communicating well

No matter how obfuscated their minds may be by their own unfortunate brand of conservatism, or middle-of-the-roadism, or just plain-wrongism, it should be clear even to them that they do not represent the District. The only person who does so is Eleanor Holmes Norton, and she does not have a vote, just very eloquent rhetoric which echoes the sound of the kid yelling "no fair" at the teacher's punishing of the whole classroom for one kid's misuse of crayons.

This will now become a crusade. I'll figure out a way of helping these rider-happy dorks get the clue. It is not right that the capital of the United States cannout count on home rule for its citizens.