Russ Carnahan Advocates Pay Cut, Makes Up For It With “Perks”

Russ Carnahan is touting a proposal to cut pay for members of Congress. It sounds like a nice gesture, until you realize the total pay cut for every member of Congress is less than 5.5% of the Federal stimulus dollars that have been directed to Russ Carnahan's family. His brother, Tom Carnahan, received $90 million to construct a wind farm that isn't even in Russ' district. So much for saving money...

To that example of waste, we can add tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars that have gone towards Russ Carnahan's worldwide expeditions. Families in the 3rd district have been stuck with the bills to send Carnahan to more than 20 countries with virtually no oversight or accountability. The locations include, but are not limited to: Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Israel, China, New Zealand, Antarctica, Australia, Slovenia, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, France, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Cyprus, Lebanon and Kosovo

Russ doesn't just go to the taxpayers for a healthy dose of patronage - since 2007, he has accepted more than $81,175 from corporate interests to pay for congressional junkets, some of which miraculously resemble dream vacations.

Don't forget that he also saves a bit of money on his tax dollars each year by docking his 42-foot boat in Illinois.

It's ironic that Carnahan, who is almost unique in his extraordinary burden to the taxpayers, would be trumpeting a pay cut. Since little, if any, action originates on his desk - it would be fair to wonder why Nancy Pelosi told him to do it. Is this supposed to be his reward for his undying loyalty and years of rubber-stamping?