On the job. Or not.
:
While House Republicans couldn’t get their act together to approve an extension of the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits last night, they were able to do something far more frivolousness — commission a bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to be placed in the Capitol. The House “adjourned moments after” passing the bill, which directs:
That the Architect of the Capitol place an appropriate statue or bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the United States Capitol at a location directed by the House Fine Arts Board in consultation with the Speaker.
You might wonder why, as the House sends the payroll tax cut extension, unemployment benefits and other urgent tasks spiraling down the drain, the Republican leadership decided to close out their evening talking about how they'd really like a nice statue of that Winston Churchill guy somewhere in the Capitol building. A deep affinity for Churchill? The mistaken impression they were voting to put up a statue of Yoda, who kinda looks similar? A sudden appreciation for the fine arts, caused by the Ghost of Really Nice Statues visiting Eric Cantor one dark Washington evening?
Nope. Think simpler, and dumber. Gawker:
Anyway, this is all about race.
The reason Boehner and Co. are doing this is not merely because they admire Winston Churchill's speech before Congress 70 years ago. It's more the climax of a nearly three-year right-wing crusade against Barack Obama, whom they believe got rid of a White House bust of Winston Churchill upon assuming office in a fit of uppity anti-colonial rage.
Yep. This is all about trying to stick it to Obama. Because his team redecorated the Oval Office in a way the Republicans didn't like, which caused a meltdown because Obama, you know, well he was secretly from Kenya and so he must have had a grudge against Churchill for—you know what? I don't even care. It's literally a fight over redecorating. Oh, the drapes are the wrong color, so Obama must hate Jesus. Oh, we wouldn't have gone with that rug, only closeted communists like rugs like that. You're moving that Churchill bust? Oh my God, you are such a racist.
You might think that since the entire payroll tax cut extension fight has been about trying to hurt Obama, and to hell with the consequences, Republicans would be plumb tuckered out of trying to insult the president in increasingly obscure and roundabout ways. You would be wrong. The appetite for random, makework insults is apparently infinite; if Obama cut a public service announcement tomorrow telling children not to drink bleach, I'm sure the House Republicans would be introducing pro-bleach-drinking legislation before the day was out.
I don't think there's any clearer demonstration of just how broken Congress is than their behavior of the last few days. They can't even agree to a tax cut, which is literally the only remaining ideology of their party, if they think there's the slightest indication Obama might like it too. And even after a marathon of trying to block the nation from getting that thing that the Republicans say they really, really want the nation to have, only they can't be bothered to provide it for rather ambiguous, ever-changing reasons, they still have just enough energy to say: a statue? Oh, a statue meant to insult Obama in some ridiculous, passive-aggressive, conspiracy-theory-based, flagrantly stupid way? Sure. Sure thing.
Good show, John Boehner. Really. What a gift to America your Congress is. Now get right on that bleach-drinking resolution, because I hear Obama's about to cut that ad telling kids not to drink the stuff.
