When you think of Congress, you sometimes believe that these people are all very modest, humble servants of the public good.

That they don’t make so much money that they’re going to betray the American public and our interests when it comes to dealing with lobbyists, PACS or influence groups.

None of these beliefs is true.

Most members of Congress are pretty well-heeled, either through their private funds, real estate investments, or blind trusts.

Most come to Congress with substantial backing, and they only get richer as time goes on.

Then is it no wonder that some of them are very frightened of OWS? They should be, because by any measure of income, they’re the 1% that OWS is targeting.

Proof? This is the annual report (last done in 2010) for the richest members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, both houses:

1. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.): $188.37 million

2. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.): $160.05 million

3. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.): $152.62 million

4. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.): $81.50 million

5. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas): $73.75 million

6. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.): $70.19 million

7. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.): $56.49 million

8. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.): $55.47 million

9. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.): $49.70 million

10. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.): $46.07 million

11. Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.): $31.41 million

12. Rep. Harry Teague (D-N.M.): $25.52 million

13. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.): $21.74 million

14. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.): $19.90 million

15. Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho): $19.69 million

16. Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.): $19.37 million

17. Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas): $18.41 million

18. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.): $18.28 million

19. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.): $15.73 million

20. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.): $14.90 million

21. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine): $12.54 million

22. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.): $12.12 million

23. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.): $10.90 million

24. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.): $10.52 million

25. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa): $10.45 million

26. Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.): $9.73 million

27. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.): $9.30 million

28. Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.): $9.11 million

29. Rep. Chris Lee (R-N.Y.): $8.74 million

30. Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.): $8.51 million

31. Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.): $8.48 million

32. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.): $8.34 million

33. Rep. Parker Griffith (R-Ala.): $8.29 million

34. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas):$8.03 million

35. Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.):$7.94 million

36. Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.): $7.90 million

37. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.):$7.71 million

38. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.): $7.33 million

39. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): $7.10 million

40. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.): $6.90 million

41. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.): $6.83 million

42. Rep. Steve Kagen (D-Wis.): $6.77 million

43. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.): $6.74 million

44. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.):$6.67 million

45. Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) :$6.66 million

46. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.): $6.31 million

47. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.): $6.22 million

48. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.): $6.07 million

49. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.): $5.66 million

50. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.): $5.34 million

51. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.): $5.06 million

***********************************************************************************

Remember this list next time Congress passes their annual pay raises-automatically, or refuses to give consideration for any economic reform bills, banking reform bills or even election reform legislation.

They don’t need to care.

They’re already rich enough.

Why should you be?