Influence Alley

The uniforms American Olympic athletes will wear during the opening ceremonies later this month are designed by Ralph Lauren. Which makes sense. What's more American than Polo?

Oh, except that they're made in China. Yes, once again, American ideas, Chinese manufacturing.  And Congress isn't happy about it.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has joined other lawmakers upset that the uniforms weren't American made with perhaps the most, um, dramatic statement on the matter. Which, to be fair, he warned reporters about by first saying "I'm prone to saying things that are over the margin." He continued:

"But I am so upset that I think the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile, and burn them and start all over again," he said Thursday to reporters. "If they have to wear nothing but a singlet that says 'USA' on it, painted by hand, then that's what they should wear. We have people in America, in the textile industry - we have people in the textile industry who are desperate for jobs. And I think what the Olympic committee has done is absolutely wrong."

Reid's call to burn uniforms and, if necessary, go for a slimmed down, less-is-more look came after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that "they should be wearing uniforms made in America." House Speaker John Boehner also said "you think they'd know better."