Number of Millionaires in Congress: 261

[struggle4progress]

For Congress, debating the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans is personal.

While the base pay for members of Congress is $174,000, nearly half -- 261, to be exact -- are millionaires, according to an analysis of 2009 data from the Center for Responsive Politics (there are 535 total members of the House and Senate). Just 1 percent of Americans overall can say the same ...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20023147-503544.html

[LisaM]

1. But it's the Republican ones who'll vote to keep the tax cuts

I can bet you most, if not all, of the Democratic members will vote against keeping them.

[XDguy]

2. Number of Millionaires in Congress: 261

You don't want your representatives to successful? They shouldn't be getting rich off the tax payer, but being successful in a past career is a good thing in my book. Smart people lead, the not so smart people follow. That's pretty much how life goes.

[struggle4progress]

3. There are all manner of ways to succeed: not every great human success is financial

I have no objection to people becoming millionaires

It nevertheless probably says something about the class-biases of Congress that millionaires are represented there far beyond their proportion in the general population. And it also probably says something about the role of money in American politics

[JackintheGreen]

4. Smart doesn't equal rich

teachers
professors
social scientists
physicists
astronomers
mathematicians
public defenders and DAs

Then there are the people who leave high paying professions to do what makes them happy. I know people with JDs who drive trucks, PhDs who work as editors, and on and on.

I want smart people to lead, not just wealthy people.

[Dappleganger]

6. So in your book rich=smart?

So crooks and rich babies get a free pass to "lead", which is essentially creating their own little perfect heaven on earth while the poor and middle class continue to be raped.

Your position reeks of corporatism.

[vssmith]

5. Funny how some of them enter congress with not much but leave with so much

[unkachuck]

7. government....

....of the rich, by the rich, for the rich....where can I sign up? I want to go fight and die for this country....

[undeterred]

8. And there's another one coming from WI to replace Feingold

because there were too many lawyers, not enough millionaires. :sarcasm: