If you opened the Congressional Handbook, you might well find today's hearing on the General Services Administration on page one of the chapter about hearings and Congressional Outrage, as lawmakers in both parties slammed big spending at the GSA.
"Thank God this time what happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas," said Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), who denounced as "pathetic" the refusal of one GSA official to answer any questions at the first day of hearings.
"Mr. Chairman, on the advice of my counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based on my Fifth Amendment constitutional privilege," said the GSA's Jeff Neely, who was the official in charge of the Las Vegas conference that spent over $822,000 in 2010.
Neely might have been able to have this photo as the only way we looked at him:
But then, photos of Neely in his Las Vegas suite surfaced on Google +, first reported by Jake Tapper of ABC News.
And there are more of Neely, along with his wife, who certainly looked like she was enjoying the trip as well.
Her participation did not go unnoticed by lawmakers on the House Oversight panel.
"Mr. Neely and his wife believed they were some kind of agency royalty," thundered Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), "who used taxpayer funds to bankroll their lavish lifestyle."
Cummings even accused Neely's wife of "impersonating a federal employee" in order to join her husband on one conference trip.
For many Republicans, the basic question boiled down to one basic thing, that being proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
"The rest of American cannot comprehend of a $44 breakfast," said Gowdy with disgust dripping from his voice.
"They are pouring generic bran cereal while you are enjoying a $44 breakfast," Gowdy added.
