A Connecticut politician who was photographed playing Solitaire during a state budget debate has issued a profuse apology and promised to never indulge in such "inexcusable" behavior ever, ever again.
Democrat Rep. Jack Hennessy is internet famous and he probably wishes he wasn't. Hennessy, along with fellow Rep. Barbara Lambert, were caught by an Associated Press photograph playing Solitaire while Republican Larry Cafero, the House Minority Leader, delivered a "lengthy speech" on the state budget. The photo quickly made the rounds and before long was turning up on national news media.
Hennessy apologized for his actions in a letter to the people of his district. "It was certainly bad judgment for me to play a computer game even for just a few minutes during the final House session on the budget. I am embarrassed, and I apologize to each and every person in the North End and to people across the state," he wrote.
"My actions were inexcusable. I do want my constituents to know that my poor judgment for a few moments on Monday in no way means I ignored your interests in representing you on this very serious matter," he continued. "Over the past seven months, as a member of the General Assembly's Finance Committee, I have participated fully in the budget process and have played an active role in crafting a budget that provides the necessary services that our communities so desperately need while at the same time minimizing any negative impact on the city of Bridgeport and its people."
"I sincerely apologize to each of you. I look forward to having the continued privilege of representing you and your interests in Hartford. I thank you in advance for your understanding and have been humbled by those of you who have already expressed your understanding and forgiveness," he concluded.
"Understanding and forgiveness" for playing Solitaire? If I didn't know better I'd think he was apologizing for something like, say, drunkenly driving into a lake and then staggering away and doing nothing while his passenger drowned. I know politicians have an instinct for laying it on thick but a three-paragraph mea culpa for screwing in some time during a dull budget speech is a bit much. It's also bears mentioning, I think, that while people, in particular the Republican party, are up in arms over the game-playing, nobody seems to have said a word about the guy sitting behind them who's quite clearly watching a baseball game.
Personally, I prefer the approach taken by Hennessy's predecessor, former House Speaker James Amann, who said, "I'm sure if they panned the whole place [in the photo], there would have been a lot more on Solitaire. If anybody has listened to Larry Cafero, it's the same speech five or six or seven times a year, and it causes Solitaire to pop up."
A politician who wasn't paying attention to something vital like a speech about the budget! Never! I'd never believe my elected representatives, who I have so much faith in, would do such a thing!
...except that that was a lie.
My faith in governments world 'round has gone down. Again. I wonder how much lower until I start sympathising with the Anarchist movement...?
It's also bears mentioning, I think, that while people, in particular the Republican party, are up in arms over the game-playing, nobody seems to have said a word about the guy sitting behind them who's quite clearly watching a baseball game.
That's because watching baseball during a budget meeting is American.
But seriously? There's maybe one guy even looking at the man giving the speech. Everyone else is clearly tuning him out, doing e-finance, browsing the web and whatnot.
Holy fucking damn! If every person who criticized this man can claim they've NEVER fallen asleep at a meeting, doodled or otherwise not given a shit, then it's fine, but I'm willing to bet this isn't the case. The fact that we expect our politicians to be perfect all the goddamn time and then react like idiots when they aren't is fucking disgraceful. Hell, I think it's illustrative of what's wrong with the democractic system and whats wrong with our entire goddamn society.
Maybe we should start acknowledging faults and trying to work around them occasionally rather than keeping up this facade of perfection while the core is rotting away.
What about everyone else with a laptop who is surfing the web in that same photo? One guy on ESPN, another at www.comcast.com. I guess playing Solitaire takes more brainpower than watching baseball. I would've been impressed if he was playing WOW.
I fail to see what all the fuss is about. Though doubtless people are already writing placards denoucing solitaire as the sole cause of the recessesion and are preparing to file a lawsuit against mircosoft to have it removed.
He could've picked a more interesting game. He should be a multi-tasker.
He should go on raids during House meetings.
Or play COD4.
"Rep. Hennessy, what do you think of the bill on the floor?" "I think the guy with the P90 needs to go hang himself for being such a total nob, thats what."
If I didn't know better I'd think he was apologizing for something like, say, drunkenly driving into a lake and then staggering away and doing nothing while his passenger drowned.
Forgive me if I am wrong, but is this a reference to the late Ted Kennedy? If it is, do you feel strongly on what happened?
Paragon Fury: He could've picked a more interesting game. He should be a multi-tasker.
He should go on raids during House meetings.
Or play COD4.
"Rep. Hennessy, what do you think of the bill on the floor?" "I think the guy with the P90 needs to go hang himself for being such a total nob, thats what."
I like this train of thought. Also...
?
Blown out of proportion either way, though, quite a few of them were slacking off. I think it's just because maybe they are meant to be better than that or something.
I have no problem with them playing solitaire during an important budget meeting. My only problem is that they chose to play solitaire and not minesweeper.
Here's an exerpt from his speech he was going to give;
Your all n00bs, this budget has Epic Fail written all over it. I see how you allocate funds and all I can say is WTF, State transport is totally pwned. We need to farm more gold if we want our education system to level up. We need more 1337 users. Without better spending states like New Jersey will all be LOL at us.
As said above, we are all guilty of doing mindless crap when boring shit is happening. I would like to add that I further do not mind lawmakers doing this because they will pass less laws. My idea of the perfect Congress is one with a month-long session that does NOTHING and goes home. The only thing that would be better is actively repealing laws, but that would be too amazing to more than hope... Anyway, I see this particular incident as a form of protest. He, and many others, were protesting that they had to sit through the damn thing. Some to the great statesmen of the past have walked-out, started a fight, dueled, screamed irately, smoked, feigned sleep, slept, hummed, and whistled. This man played on the computer, and I'm proud of him.
Paragon Fury: He could've picked a more interesting game. He should be a multi-tasker.
He should go on raids during House meetings.
Or play COD4.
"Rep. Hennessy, what do you think of the bill on the floor?" "I think the guy with the P90 needs to go hang himself for being such a total nob, thats what."
I'd actually prefer if the Republican that yelled 'You lie!' recently while in a meeting apologized, but, c'est la vie. Can't have everything. Honestly, the former is more offensive than this; this is more slacking off slightly than anything. Though to be fair, if a politician who's getting paid very well to do what he does actually had to resort to playing Solitaire to stay awake, that probably says something about the quality of these kinds of meetings.
Paragon Fury: He could've picked a more interesting game. He should be a multi-tasker.
He should go on raids during House meetings.
Or play COD4.
"Rep. Hennessy, what do you think of the bill on the floor?" "I think the guy with the P90 needs to go hang himself for being such a total nob, thats what."
I like this train of thought. Also...
?
Blown out of proportion either way, though, quite a few of them were slacking off. I think it's just because maybe they are meant to be better than that or something.
I was about to say that my picture relates to what happened when this guy was caught, but then you went ahead and essentially beat me to it : /
Paragon Fury: He could've picked a more interesting game. He should be a multi-tasker.
He should go on raids during House meetings.
Or play COD4.
"Rep. Hennessy, what do you think of the bill on the floor?" "I think the guy with the P90 needs to go hang himself for being such a total nob, thats what."
I like this train of thought. Also...
?
Blown out of proportion either way, though, quite a few of them were slacking off. I think it's just because maybe they are meant to be better than that or something.
I was about to say that my picture relates to what happened when this guy was caught, but then you went ahead and essentially beat me to it : /
Paragon Fury: He could've picked a more interesting game. He should be a multi-tasker.
He should go on raids during House meetings.
Or play COD4.
"Rep. Hennessy, what do you think of the bill on the floor?" "I think the guy with the P90 needs to go hang himself for being such a total nob, thats what."
omg epic
Even better:
*Rep from across the floor* "Yeah, f%^& you Hennessy! Camping like a bitch with your RPD like you think you got skill or something."
Malygris: It's also bears mentioning, I think, that while people, in particular the Republican party, are up in arms over the game-playing, nobody seems to have said a word about the guy sitting behind them who's quite clearly watching a baseball game.
Yeah, but baseball is so boring to watch it was probably worse than listening to a speech on finance.
I have this whole image of the U.S. Senate playing World of Warcraft now.
"Mister president, It is my opinion that you should delete your Belf Death Knight. 'She's hawt' doesn't make up for you being a retard while you play her. Dammit, Palin's ganking me in WSG, get on Trade to look for premades! McCain's on his Gnome Warrior! BRACE FOR CHARGE!"
The UK parliament plays Guild Wars. It's less eventful all round.
Paragon Fury: He could've picked a more interesting game. He should be a multi-tasker.
He should go on raids during House meetings.
Or play COD4.
"Rep. Hennessy, what do you think of the bill on the floor?" "I think the guy with the P90 needs to go hang himself for being such a total nob, thats what."
omg epic
Even better:
*Rep from across the floor* "Yeah, f%^& you Hennessy! Camping like a bitch with your RPD like you think you got skill or something."
this is why we have these people, so we can make fun of them
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Politician Apologizes for "Inexcusable" Solitaire-Playing
A Connecticut politician who was photographed playing Solitaire during a state budget debate has issued a profuse apology and promised to never indulge in such "inexcusable" behavior ever, ever again.
Democrat Rep. Jack Hennessy is internet famous and he probably wishes he wasn't. Hennessy, along with fellow Rep. Barbara Lambert, were caught by an Associated Press photograph playing Solitaire while Republican Larry Cafero, the House Minority Leader, delivered a "lengthy speech" on the state budget. The photo quickly made the rounds and before long was turning up on national news media.
Hennessy apologized for his actions in a letter to the people of his district. "It was certainly bad judgment for me to play a computer game even for just a few minutes during the final House session on the budget. I am embarrassed, and I apologize to each and every person in the North End and to people across the state," he wrote.
"My actions were inexcusable. I do want my constituents to know that my poor judgment for a few moments on Monday in no way means I ignored your interests in representing you on this very serious matter," he continued. "Over the past seven months, as a member of the General Assembly's Finance Committee, I have participated fully in the budget process and have played an active role in crafting a budget that provides the necessary services that our communities so desperately need while at the same time minimizing any negative impact on the city of Bridgeport and its people."
"I sincerely apologize to each of you. I look forward to having the continued privilege of representing you and your interests in Hartford. I thank you in advance for your understanding and have been humbled by those of you who have already expressed your understanding and forgiveness," he concluded.
"Understanding and forgiveness" for playing Solitaire? If I didn't know better I'd think he was apologizing for something like, say, drunkenly driving into a lake and then staggering away and doing nothing while his passenger drowned. I know politicians have an instinct for laying it on thick but a three-paragraph mea culpa for screwing in some time during a dull budget speech is a bit much. It's also bears mentioning, I think, that while people, in particular the Republican party, are up in arms over the game-playing, nobody seems to have said a word about the guy sitting behind them who's quite clearly watching a baseball game.
Personally, I prefer the approach taken by Hennessy's predecessor, former House Speaker James Amann, who said, "I'm sure if they panned the whole place [in the photo], there would have been a lot more on Solitaire. If anybody has listened to Larry Cafero, it's the same speech five or six or seven times a year, and it causes Solitaire to pop up."
Source: Courant.com, via GameCulture
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