I Know Nothing

Bryan Preston at Hot Air points to a story with some unbelievable aspects. Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) has family members who run a business called Cornerstone, which happens to be a contractor of the U.S. Navy (wow that doesn't happen too often!). The Navy wants a high pressure pump the company built with $9.2 million in taxpayer money--but the company doesn't know where the pump is. That must be a pretty damn small, high pressure pump.

An admitted science geek who became enchanted by the idea of using high-powered water jets to break down materials for use in composites, Kanjorski encouraged the creation of Cornerstone in the late 1990s to develop — and one day commercialize — the technology. It was formed by his nephew, Peter Kanjorski, and a scientist, Bruce Conrad, who were joined in the company by four of the congressman’s other nephews and his daughter.

In 1998, with the help of Rep. John P. Murtha, a fellow Pennsylvanian and the top Democrat on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Rep. Kanjorski earmarked $3.5 million for the research through the Navy.

While I don't know what my cousins, neices or nephews do for a living, I am pretty sure what my brother and sister do.

I find it ludicrous to believe that Kanjorski, who not only secured money for the company, encouraged its creation and is brothers with one of the company's founders--knows nothing about the company or its contracts with the Navy.

Wouldn't it be refreshing for a Congressman to actually own up to something. My healthy self might actually have a heart attack.