TEN ANGRY MEN…. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) held a Capitol Hill press conference this morning, and was joined by several of his GOP colleagues. Daily Kos’ Jed Lewison, who noted the lack of substantive questions during the 37-minute briefing, ran this still shot from the event.

ryanpressermsnbc_040511_lrg.jpg

Now, Jed is clearly right about the Q&A; it left a lot to be desired. But I struck by the image itself. What we saw was a House press conference held by 10 people who look remarkably similar to one another: 10 powerful, conservative, white men in dark suits, who make more money in a year than the vast majority of the American people.

And these 10 powerful, conservative, white men in dark suits all want the same thing: to approve a budget that imposes hardship on the elderly, the disabled, low-income families, and the middle class, while rewarding the wealthy and corporations with even more tax breaks.

It is, of course, the wealthy and corporations who’ll help these 10 powerful, conservative, white men in dark suits stay in power, so none of this comes as a surprise.

But the image was nevertheless striking given the circumstances.

Our ideas can save democracy... But we need your help! Donate Now!

Follow Steve on Twitter @stevebenen. Steve Benen is a producer at MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show. He was the principal contributor to the Washington Monthly's Political Animal blog from August 2008 until January 2012.