Where, Exactly, Is Mike Rogers From?

He says he's from Michigan, but you really have to wonder...

Rogers recently hit a mean-spirited trifecta, topping off a busy week in which he voted against mothers and the military by voting against Michigan's unemployed.

It's not news to anyone that Michigan has the nation's highest unemployment rate. Since 2000, we've lost 350,000 jobs and our median income for households has fallen by 11.9 percent.

At the beginning of this year, Governor Granholm, Senators Levin & Stabenow and five Michigan representatives asked Congress for help with extended unemployment benefits and health care funding. They were trying to get support for our state at a time when people are really hurting -- and they were doing it in a very sensible way. The Congressional Budget Office has shown that extending unemployment benefits is a more effective economic stimulus than cuts in corporate tax rates or temporary tax reductions.

So what did Mr. Rogers do when his Governor, his Senators and his colleagues tried to help the citizens of Michigan? He turned his back on all of us and publicly stated

that Congress should not spend more on government programs like unemployment compensation, but instead should quickly get the rebate checks into the hands of taxpayers.

"We need to help the American people who are hurting by getting money in their hands," Rogers said, saying it will also improve consumer confidence.

Got that? Mike Rogers thinks that a check for a few hundred dollars is all you need to feel more confident. You don't need a job, or affordable health care for your family or any other frills.

Perhaps if Mr. Rogers visited the Eighth Congressional District as often as he does Iraq, he would have a better idea of what he can do to help us.

This toxic combo of inaction and bad attitude isn't exactly what I would call "representative." And it's certainly not worth $162,000 a year (plus gold-plated health insurance).