Missing Mica

I missed all the fun with Chairman John Mica. And I’m really disappointed. I has so many plans. But I guess the world economy collapsing trumps messing around with Mica.

In case you missed the news in this article...

The FAA shutdown and the new rules of Washington


”Congressman John Mica, the Florida Republican blamed for single-handedly shutting down the Federal Aviation Administration, sounded like a beaten man when he called me Thursday evening.

The usually biting chairman of the House transportation committee spoke with remorse about the standoff, which put 74,000 people on furlough or out of work, delayed airport-safety projects and cost hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.”

I don’t believe that for a second. Do you? Seriously, does this sound like John Mica?

”“I didn’t know it would cause this much consternation,” Mica said. “Now I’ve just got to get the broom and the shovel and clean up the mess.” Switching metaphors, he said he wanted “to unclog the toilet, but it backed up. So I don’t know what to do, what to say.””

He didn’t know that laying off 4,000 FAA employees and then going on vacation would cause a lot of “consternation”? Sure he did. He just thought he had a way to deflect the blame onto the Democrats. He was wrong. And I bet Chairman Mica knows exactly what he wants to do. I bet as soon as the heat is off, he’ll start doing it. Again.

But wait! There’s more!

”Mica started out with a sensible aim: He wanted to clean up years of messy funding for the FAA.”

No he didn’t. Come on, Dana. He’s toting the standard barge full of Republican anti-union legislation.

In his defense, Dana Milbank goes on to make those same points. And others. But John Mica isn’t the least bit concerned about “messy funding”. He’s concerned about putting the funding in the “right” hands.

This article is chock full of lines you need to read. You can believe most of Milbank’s. Don’t believe Mica’s for a second.

”“People don’t have to get so personal,” he said with a sigh. “A lot of people hate me now and think I’m the worst thing in the world for what I did.” It’s “this sort of gotcha,” he said, “that’s changed the dynamics of people working more effectively together.””

“Personal”? You go without a paycheck, Mr. Chairman, and see if you don’t take it personally. And we don’t just hate you “now”.

I’ll end with a “good job” to all those that called their Congressmen to pressure Mica into a settlement. See what happens when you stand up and fight? (Read the article. Even Mica was surprised.)

Don’t think for a minute that Mica wouldn’t have left the FAA’s employees twisting in the wind while he took a 5 week vacation. That’s the reason I had my favorite artist photoshop this for me.



I was going to start a “Where’s Mica” campaign. I have to admit, it wasn’t an original idea on my part. I found it while searching for a permanent solution to the Mica problem. I’ll save it for next time. Yes, there will be a next time. Count on it.

Don Brown
August 9, 2011