Oh, snap!

If you haven't heard, George Bush has someone on the payroll at the White House called the "Director of Lessons Learned." I'm not kidding. Makes you wonder if they have a Director Of Keeping It Real, or a Director Of Making Sure Everything We Make Is Raw.

This joker, Stuart Baker, actually gets paid $106,641 a year. And just got a raise. (Interestingly, all the top-level, six-figure hacks at the White House got raises, but not the guy changing the light bulbs and the janitors or low-paid staffers. Quel Republican.)

Via Kos, we bring you Rep. Rahm Emanuel's (D-Ill.) response, and it's a pretty concise indictment of, well, everything:

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the President said we continue to be wise about how we spend the people's money.

"Then why are we paying over $100,000 for a 'White House Director of Lessons Learned'?

"Maybe I can save the taxpayers $100,000 by running through a few of the lessons this White House should have learned by now.

"Lesson 1: When the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of State say you are going to war without enough troops, you're going to war without enough troops.

"Lesson 2: When 8.8 billion dollars of reconstruction funding disappears from Iraq, and 2 billion dollars disappears from Katrina relief, it's time to demand a little accountability.

"Lesson 3: When you've 'turned the corner' in Iraq more times than Danica Patrick at the Indy 500, it means you are going in circles.

"Lesson 4: When the national weather service tells you a category 5 hurricane is heading for New Orleans, a category 5 hurricane is heading to New Orleans.

"I would also ask the President why we're paying for two 'Ethics Advisors' and a 'Director of Fact Checking.'

"They must be the only people in Washington who get more vacation time than the President.

"Maybe the White House could consolidate these positions into a Director of Irony."

Hot damn, I couldn't say it better myself.


Technorati tags: Bush, White House, Director of Lessons Learned, Rahm Emanuel