Here is the challenge, if you are a member of Congress (which very few of you are, I realize). You spend all that time in Washington and when you come home you need to show people what you've done. You want to see and be seen by the players in your district. You realize that you can reach all the more people if you do this seeing and been seen in front of the media.

This is all the more true if you are running for re-election every two years. It becomes less true the more six-year terms you pile on and the more times you are on national Sunday morning talk shows. Thus, for years, we saw Rep. Bernie Sanders hold a news conference many a Monday morning. He still holds a few now that he is Sen. Bernie Sanders, but once he realizes how long six years are, he'll scale back.

Sen. Patrick Leahy doesn't need to bother so much. He's getting enough Sundays TV air time.

Rep. Peter Welch, the first-termer, however, has to crank those news conferences like his political life depends on it.

So it was Monday that Welch convened a news conference at the Community Health Center in Burlington to highlight the work the House has done toward expanding federal health coverage of children and seniors.

I can't say that I blame Welch for doing what every member of Congress does, but I do blame us, the media, for lapping it up. For years, the Free Press irked Sanders by not showing up to his every news conference. We will likely irk Welch by not writing about every one of his too.

It just seemed that "Congressman praises own efforts" or even "Congressman amasses others to praise his efforts while media watch" was not a viable story. Can't blame him for trying - the system practically demands that members of Congress do this sort of thing to get attention.

The "system" is full of contradictory tugs like this. Take earmarks, for example. Welch was asked about legislation that requires members to make their earmarks public but that the New York Times showed had simply allowed members to more openly brag about their success in bringing home the bacon. Members are in a tough spot. If they don't bring bacon home, they don't win votes. If they all bring too much bacon home, the country gets fat and has high cholesterol. Who wants to be the first one to say no bacon for you?

- Terri Hallenbeck