Capitol Cash
Normally, when the news centers on politicians and money, it’s because someone took money they shouldn’t have or in some other way benefited personally, financially, from their job as an elected official. Those are clearly stories.
But there’s been an interesting twist on that in the past week, courtesy of the formerly mainstream media. Stories about new Speaker of the U.S. House Mike Johnson have focused on his lack of financial holdings, with a tone suggesting we should think less of him because of it.
He has a mortgage. He does not have more than $5,000 in savings. He does not own stocks. All of that was listed for years in public disclosure documents. But according to the media, these are “shady” situations.
Never mind that a majority of Americans do not have more than $5,000 in savings. Never mind that most Americans only own stock if it’s in a retirement plan, and could not tell you what they own. Never mind that 37 percent of Americans have a mortgage, while 30 percent more own their homes outright after paying a mortgage.
Never mind all those things, it’s Mike Johnson who is shady because…and this is the best part…because he has not profited handsomely from being a Congressman.
Remember when Joe Biden was seen as just a paycheck-to-paycheck guy, “Lunchbox Joe”? That was before we saw checks written for $40,000, ostensibly payment of 10 percent from money paid to a family business. Lots of folks don’t see $40,000 as their yearly salary, much less have a check stroked from a family member for that amount.
So now that we see the First Family’s main home, part of a compound…and their beach home…and all the rest, it’s suddenly OK to be well off after a career in elective office, and the person who does *not* amass wealth while collecting a government paycheck is the shady one.
I find that shift in tone and attack to be highly convenient. But if that’s the line they want to push, great…because the Speaker will seem much more like the average voter than the others who have gotten rich at the expense of those average voters. That’s a better place to be if you want to gain public opinion and win elections.
