Bear Down On Brett Favre

By Patrick O'Connor

(The Politico)  Packers fans all over Washington will dust off their Styrofoam cheeseheads this evening when the House considers a resolution honoring cheesehead in chief Brett Favre, the Wrangler Jeans spokesman (and Packers quarterback), for breaking the NFL's record for touchdown passes in a career.

We here at Politico cherish journalistic integrity, but we also don't cover sports. So, as a Bears fan, I encourage lawmakers from the Chicagoland area to have the integrity and self-respect to vote against this shameless measure offered by freshman Rep. Steve Kagen (D-Wis.).

Politicians regularly cast friendly wagers on the outcome of big sporting events - 10 Coho Salmon from one district for 20 cases of Little Debbie snacks from another, for example - so they can mug for the TV cameras and show constituents back home how much they care about the home team.

But it's rare to see a lawmaker draw a hard line in the sand when one member of Congress asks his colleagues to vote in support of a measure honoring a rival sports team. Republican Rep. Jack Kingston, a big fan of the local University of Georgia Bulldogs, had the good sense to vote against a measure earlier this year honoring the University of Florida Gators football team.