Kerry a Cheapskate, Senate Waiter Says!

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[Ramtek57]

Sunday, April 25, 2004 11:39 p.m. EDT Kerry a Cheapskate, Senate Waiter Says

When it comes to his Senate dining room tipping habits, you'd hardly know Sen. John Kerry married his way into a half-billion-dollar fortune.

Independent researcher Tom Kuiper called our attention last week to a passage from Ron Kessler's 1997 best seller, "Inside Congress: The Shocking Scandals, Corruption, and Abuse of Power Behind the Scenes on Capitol Hill."

Kessler's account includes a few choice quotes from one of the Senate dining room waiters, who used to regularly serve the Senate's wealthiest member.

Kerry is "real cheap," the waiter told Kessler. "He tips, but it is ten percent and below."

The waiter noted that the Massachusetts Democrat isn't alone. Some of Kerry's less-gold-plated colleagues "either do not tip or tip very little. ... They might go out without signing their check or they might sign the check w/ no tip."

[Riley]

I am far from rich, but I have lived off of tips, and I have sympathy for people who still do so.

Just occasionally, it's fun to leave an *insane* tip for really good service.

[Sangria]

There is just nothing positive to say about this man.

[OldPossum]

Not to place the halo too tightly on my head, but I always tip 20 percent, sometimes more. I know (as was noted in post #7) that waiters and waitresses depend on tips to make a decent income.

[Mr Rogers]

I tip IAW service. The old standard was 15% for good service - not the 20-25% figure some folks toss around today. For reasonably good service, I tip 15%. For excellent service, I tip 20-30%. For poor service, I leave a nickel so they won't think I just forgot to tip.

BTW - if the meal is cheap ($5-8), then I tip based on an absolute amount - usually $2-3 - rather than a percent.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

You are on to something. I've observed this trait firsthand by Libs. They seem to think the restaurant owners should simply pay their help a higher wage; no thought given to its effect on the price of meals.

[jonno]

bump

[Ramtek57]

Just like the SUVs, they are not his, they belong to his wife and family.

[mewzilla]

Typical limosine lib. Tight with his own money while spending the taxpayers' money like water.

[southernnorthcarolina]

I wonder how much you'd have to tip to get a waiter to give the recipe for the famous Senate Dining Room Bean Soup. A closely guarded secret, I understand...

[LetsRok]

My son used to work at a club and so did his girlfriend, they told me that the people who never tipped were the rich ones, especially the kids of the rich! Only Kerry is not rich, never was, but the Kerry cow is very rich!

You don't get rich by giving it all away in tips. I hate tipping but see it as a necessary evil. Waiters and servers should be paid at least minimum wage so that a meal would actually cost the published price in the menu.

[Conservababe]

Senate Bean Soup (served on Mondays)

2 pounds of small Michigan navy beans
1-1/2 pounds of smoked ham hocks
1 onion
butter
Salt and pepper

Take two pounds of small Michigan navy beans, wash and run through hot water until beans are white again. Put on the fire with four quarts of hot water. Then add smoked ham hocks, boil slowly approximately 3 hours in covered pot. Braise one chopped onion in a little butter, and when light brown put in bean soup. Season with salt and pepper than serve. Do not add salt until ready to serve.

Serves: 8.

[threat matrix]

Bob Dole was voted the best guy on Capitol by the staff in the annual awards, what a difference!

[Howie66]

Puh-lease!

Everybody knows that liberals/socialists are the most generous people in the world.......

When it comes to spending OTHER peoples money......

;-)

[cricket]

"Typical limosine lib. Tight with his own money while spending the taxpayers' money like water."

For sure.

Liberals always excuse themselves from personally contributing their fair share. They reveal their own arrogance, as well, in that they feel their presence alone is enough of a generousity. 'Yes, you cannot take it to the bank; but I am a great memory'. . .

Personally, I would rather die poor, than be leave a cheap tip; and I think being generous with that tip is the fairest option for service.

. . .with no exceptions for 'who' you are.

[Chewbacca]

If the people don't pay their check they should be banned from the dinning room or at least have the cops arrest them for the old 'dine and dash' routine.

[mwl1]

Liberals are notoriously generous with other people's money.

[McGavin999]

I usually tip 20-25% and a minimum of $2.00. I know that a lot of people are feeding their families with those tips. I also figure someone has to make up for those who either can't afford to tip (which is why it's important to keep the price of meals down) and for those who are too cheap to tip.

[CathyRyan]

I tip 15% for so so service and 20% for good service. On Holidays I tip 35% just because they do the work that day and I don't.

[CollegeRepublican]

Recently my friends and I went to this excellent Mexican joint near Baltimore that is fairly cheap but has great food. We ran up like $120 tab, between like 10 of us. My one friend who was leaving the country on business the next day paid for everybody, so we all still left like a $70 tip. I bet we made the waiters day.

[lady lawyer]

I'm always aware that I can make a waiter, cab driver, etc., feel really happy for a moment with a tip that I won't even miss. I can remember the years when I stayed home with six children, and a few dollars meant a lot. I don't know how Kerry can be so stingy, when he has money to burn.