J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Just when you thought Sen. Rand Paul had no more tricks up his sleeve, he hands $600,000 to the U.S. Treasury and proves you silly wrong. The move, announced Wednesday, was a “symbolic gesture” meant to highlight how easily the government can reduce its spending. Paul says the sizable sum came from a closely monitored office budget. “We watch every purchase ... what computers we buy, what paper we buy, the ink cartridges,” Paul said. “We treat the money like it’s our money, or your money, and we look at every expenditure.” Paul’s donation was coupled by a smaller one from South Carolina Rep. Mick Mulvaney, who pledged to give $160,000 of his budget (12 percent) back to the government. “At a time when Americans are tightening their budgets, I have made an effort to do the same with my congressional office budget,” Mulvaney said. When Congress starts cutting back on ink cartridges to try to save the economy, it might be a good time to start looking for lifeboats.