David and I have been writing a lot about the violence that already has and will continue to occur because of the extremist nature of the tea party movement. The MSM seems to be afraid to point this out except to characterize it as isolated incidents. Don't they seem to happen all the time? How many have to happen before they're no longer isolated?

Steny Hoyer is on MSNBC giving a presser with Clyburn saying that they are fearful for their safety and other members should notify security. Chuck Todd tweets:

House Maj. Leader Hoyer says he's worried about the security of fellow House Dems; Calls on House GOP leaders to join in decrying threats.

They should be.

Law enforcement authorities are investigating the discovery of a cut propane gas line at the Virginia home of Rep. Tom Perriello’s (D-Va.) brother, whose address was targeted by tea party activists angry at the congressman’s vote for the health care bill.

An aide to the congressman confirmed to POLITICO that a line to a propane tank behind his brother's home near Charlottesville had been sliced.

The FBI would not disclose the details of the incident, but said that they have been to the home.

“This is very preliminary at this point, so we’re not making any comment at this time,” local FBI spokesman M.A. Myers told POLITICO.

Lee Catlin, community relations director for the Albemarle County Fire Marshal, said in a statement to POLITICO that the office is “investigating a suspicious incident” at the home of the congressman’s brother. “The Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting the investigation in cooperation with the FBI,” Catlin said. “While officials are not willing to characterize the exact nature of the incident because of the ongoing investigation, it did not involve an immediate threat to occupants of the residence. However officials are taking the incident very seriously and conducting a vigorous investigation,” the statement said.

POLITICO reported on Monday that Mike Troxel, an organizer for the Lynchburg Tea Party, posted on his blog what he thought was the congressman’s address, encouraging tea party activists to “drop by...read on

A tea party activist targeted Perriello yesterday, got his name wrong and today we have a gas line cut.

As Digby wrote yesterday:

I would imagine there will be more of this. I'm just surprised they didn't do it before the vote:

A tea party organizer angry over Rep. Thomas Perriello’s (D-Va.) vote in favor of health care reform published what he thought was the freshman member’s home address on a blog, in case any readers “want to drop by” and provide a “personal touch” to their views.

Basic intimidation, obviously. I'd imagine that some of them might even want to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights.

UPDATE: mcjoan has more:

Update: The "shocked" and "speechless" Nigel Coleman is the same one who said:

When Coleman learned the address was actually Perriello’s brother’s — Politico reported he and his wife have four young children — Coleman commented on another blog that the mistake was "collateral damage."

"Do you mean I posted his brother’s address on my Facebook?" Coleman wrote. "Oh well, collateral damage."

Yeah, nothing violent in that.

UPDATE 2: Perriello has released the following statement:

“My number one priority right now is ensuring the safety of my brother’s family, and I am grateful to law enforcement for their excellent work. While it is too early to say anything definitive regarding political motivations behind this act, it’s never too early for political leaders to condemn threats of violence, particularly as threats to other Members of Congress and their children escalate. And so I ask every member of House and Senate leadership to state unequivocally tonight that it is never OK to harm or threaten elected officials and their families with anything more than political retribution. Here in America, we settle our political differences at the ballot box.”

Raw Story: 135,000 uninsured Americans will die before health reform takes effect, analysis finds. Some useless Dems will declare ‘victory’ but Dean says “kill it.”

Consortiumblog:: How banks fleece the unemployed

The Agonist: Hoyer: Bring back Glass-Steagall

Balloon Juice: Somebody hose off Vitter

Climate Progress: Gore derangement syndrome

James Wolcott is deadly...

I just checked out the end of the debate--- (D) David Scott called this secret session a possible Trojan Horse to be used politically by the Republicans. Blunt is shocked that they are spending so much time debating this, but argues it's worth the time. Kucinich has questioned the tactic and said it's been used 5 times in like 125 years. Hoyer doesn't know what secrets Blunt has, but is giving him the benefit of the doubt.

...are technically still in process, but let's hear it for Pelosi and Hoyer plowing through the agenda they promised:

Ethics Reform

Minimum Wage

9/11 Panel Recommendations

Stem Cell Research

Medicare

I'm a little disappointed that the Senate hasn't been as aggressive--their version of ethics reform is little more than window dressing. I do think that this flurry of activity after the "Do-Nothing" 109th Congress should make the White House very nervous when they start settling into hearings for accountability on a variety of issues.

What do you think should be Agenda Item #1 at the conclusion of the promised 100 Hour Legislation?

PFAW suggests Election Reform.

YahooNews: (h/t E)

Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, behind bars for bribery, can at least be consoled by the federal pension he'll continue to collect. Current or future lawmakers convicted of crimes may not be so lucky.

The Senate on Friday voted 87-0 to strip away the pensions of members of Congress convicted of white-collar crimes such as bribery, perjury and fraud. That could result in benefit losses of more than $100,000 a year.

"With this vote, we are preventing members of Congress who steal or cheat from receiving a lifelong pension that is paid for by the taxpayers," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., sponsor of the measure with Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo.

The pension measure was attached to a comprehensive ethics and lobbying bill that the Democratic-controlled Senate, trying to improve the image of Congress after the scandals of last year, took up as its first legislative act of the year.

The Democrats' return to power in both the House and Senate came after a campaign in which they stressed the "culture of corruption" under GOP rule.

[..]Kerry's office said that by law Congress cannot take away pensions retroactively and the so-called "Duke Cunningham Act" won't affect the benefits of Cunningham or Ney. It would also not touch the military benefits of a veteran such as Cunningham.

Under current law, pensions can be forfeited only if a lawmaker commits crimes such as treason or espionage.

[..]The NTU says there are roughly 20 former members convicted of serious crimes who qualify for pensions.

Hoyer says a similar act will come before the Senate next week.

Honestly, the name, the "Duke Cunningham Act", while snarkily delicious, is so limiting. Given all the exalted members of the 109th Congress that have left their seat in disgrace, shall we redub it the "Cunningham/Ney/Delay Act"?

Anyone else I'm forgetting?

I've seen a couple of posters mention it a few times and it made me curious, so I hopped on "the Google" to see what I could find.

There it was, big headline on Drudge: DEM VOW ALREADY BROKEN: HOUSE SETS 4-DAY WORK WEEK

Democrats ran to expand the work week in the House to 5 days.
But guess how long that lasted?

Not even one week!

Sounds pretty bad, doesn't it? Problem is, Drudge is weaseling in telling the story. It's the truth, but without any context.

Guess where I found the context? FoxNews (I know, go figure)

It's only the first week of the 110th Congress, but Democrats have already called a time-out so lawmakers can enjoy a very important event - the BCS championship football game between University of Florida and the Ohio State University.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Friday handed out this week's schedule. It noted that House legislative actions would not begin on Monday, but would be postponed until Tuesday.

Here's the best part: Steny Hoyer took particular care to name a colleague who he was sure would really appreciate the day off to watch the game...his friend from Ohio. Republican and House Minority Leader John Boehner

"...In the spirit of comity, and I know if Maryland were playing, I would want to be accommodated and I want to accommodate my friend, Mr. Boehner," Hoyer said in reference to new House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Now granted, the following week has Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, making a second four day week, but that's hardly dropping down the 109th's 2 1/2 day work week, is it?

Steny Hoyer tells the House that they'll finally have to work like the rest of us.

"I have bad news for you," Hoyer told reporters. "Those trips you had planned in January, forget 'em. We will be working almost every day in January, starting with the 4th."

"Keeping us up here eats away at families," said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who typically flies home on Thursdays and returns to Washington on Tuesdays. "Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families -- that's what this says."

I didn't know being elected to the House means you don't have to work. Working usually helps marriages because---you know--- it helps to feed their families. As C&Ler Brian says: "By the time the gavel comes down on the 109th Congress on Friday, members will have worked a total of 103 days. That's seven days fewer than the infamous "Do-Nothing Congress" of 1948."

The "do nothing" label fits. Mr. Kingston. You may remember him from his ridiculous Hardball appearance during the Foley scandal.

It bodes well for Pelosi that was willing to spend her political capital right off the bat -- especially on the issue that will define her time at the helm. Far too many modern politicians save theirpolitical capital until it's lost all its value.