images.thumbnail.jpegTurns out Sarah Palin has a very spotty attendance record in her brief experience as Governor of Alaska. Juneau is the state capital of Alaska. From the Juneau Empire:

Palin has spent little time in Juneau, rarely coming to the state capital except when the Legislature was in session, and sometimes not even then.

During a recent special session called by Palin herself, she faced criticism from several legislators for not showing up personally to push for her agenda.

Someone at the Capitol even printed up buttons asking "Where's Sarah?" Rep. Andrea Doll, D-Juneau, called it a telling question.

"At a time when her leadership was truly needed, we didn't know where she was," Doll said.

Local Alaskan reporter Shannyn Moore, on Tuesday night's Countdown on MSNBC, confirmed that many members of the Alaskan legislature wore yellow "Where's Sarah" buttons. Of course, this must be read in conjunction with the fact that Palin has bilked taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office (well over half of the time), charging a per diem allowance normally intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business. She charged the State of Alaska for staying in her own house and away from her job at the state capital.

Habitually away from where her governing job, for which she is paid to attend and perform by the citizens; gee, that makes Sarah Palin just like....

George Bush. Although you can certainly make the argument that the country is better off when Bush is not on the job, the fact remains that he has been the most absentee President in modern history. As of March 2008, Bush had spent 452 days on vacation at his Crawford ranch in Texas; well over a full year of his seven years in office spent down on the farm ranch. And this, of course, doesn't include the other fun filled time Bush spends slapping bikini clad babe's butts at the Olympics and all the other larks he galavants off on.

Habitually away from his governing duties in Washington DC, for which he is paid to attend and perform by the citizens of this country; gee, that makes George Bush just like....

John McCain. McCain is the most absent senator in Congress, having missed 63 percent of the votes since the 110th Congress opened session on January 3, 2007. 63%. McCain's absentee record even beats that of Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), who was completely absent nearly a year while recovering from a brain hemorrhage.

In the calendar year of 2008, McCain has missed a whopping 82% of the votes cast in the United States Senate (160 out of 195 votes missed as of September 8, 2008; 32 of the 35 votes McCain made were over three days, with McCain only voting on a total of 5 days of the entire legislative session in 2008). McCain was absent from the job he was elected to perform for the citizens of Arizona 82% of the time; a job for which he is paid in excess of $165,000.00 a year and for which he and his family are given the finest healthcare plan in the world. McCain has not been present for one single vote in the Senate since April 8, 2008. None. Nada.

Here are some more facts and figures from Smintheus (Note: these figures are as of July 29, 2008, so almost every category is now higher and more egregious):

63% - How many votes in the Senate McCain has skipped during the 110th Congress (since January 2007).

96 - The number of Senate votes McCain has missed since his last recorded vote on April 8.

111 - The number of days since McCain last attended a committee hearing (of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on April 9).

25% - How many full SASC hearings McCain has attended during the 110th Congress.

89% - How many full SASC hearings McCain has skipped since April 2007 (32 out of the last 36 hearings).

2007 - The last year in which McCain attended any Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee hearings or subcommittee hearings.

The League of Conservation Voters noted in February that McCain has skipped every one of the 15 Senate votes on environmental issues that it deemed critical during this Congress.

This is a common thread between Bush, Palin and McCain; none of them are ever in the city they are supposed to be in, at their job, doing the work the people pay them to do. Heck, Palin even charges bilks the State of Alaska for being away from the capital and holed up in her own mansion on a lake. When every element of our society is flatlining, Bush, Palin and McCain are constantly MIA from their job, and they seem to feel entitled to do that on the people's dime. Like Dick Cheney, they consider it to be "their due".

McCain, Palin and Bush don't put "country first"; if they did, they would consistently be in the city where their job was located, doing the work they were elected to do. McCain, Palin and Bush are not "public servants"; if they were, they would be serving their constituents instead of themselves. No, McCain, Palin and Bush are more like grifters living off of the largesse and goodwill of the citizens, bleeding them dry and living high on the hog (with lipstick) in the process.

In a sense, McCain, Palin and Bush are analogous to The Riches in the excellent FX television series by the same name about an Irish Traveller family of con artists and thieves that steal a large amount of money, get involved in a car accident that kills a very wealthy couple (the eponymous Riches), and choose to pursue a "better life" by adopting the Riches' identity, and opulent mansion, and taking up their life in an affluent gated community.

McCain, Palin and Bush are the freeloading Riches of the GOP; taking the citizen's money and living high off the hog in mansions without doing their duty and work to earn it. Time to rid ourselves of the grifters.