The Republicans in congress are having another hissy fit, stomping their feet and screaming and threatening to shut down the government and destroy America’s credit rating and ruin the economy forever if Obama insists on having Obamacare, which they still say is the worst thing ever, even though it’s not.
Thomas Nast, 1871
It’s not looking real good for them, because they’ve sort of painted themselves into a corner. If they carry through with their threats everybody will blame them for the government shutdown, late paychecks, delayed flights, slow garbage pickup, whatever, not to mention the credit rating downgrade thingie, and they will be called traitors and worse. If they fold at the last minute (which is what is going to happen) they will look like big weenies.
So, the pressure is on and at least two Capitol Hill reporters have reported that House Republicans are reacting to the pressure the same way that most working Americans respond to pressure: by getting hammered.
One was Ginger Gibson, who might well be a Republican herself based on her Bush-like version of the English language. She tweeted: I’m not over exaggerating when I say I can smell the booze wafting from members as they walk off the floor.
Of course, this is not a new thing. World leaders as far back as Alexander the Great have been making bad decisions while hammered. But, right now we are talking about the Republicans in congress.
There are several possible reasons for their public drunkenness, and quite probably more than one of them factor in.
A. It’s the weekend. Just because they have to work, doesn’t mean they want to upset their usual routine.
B. There may be a greater number of them than we would have expected who are just hammered all the time anyway. (I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if John Boehner is among this number.) It’s just that this time a couple of reporters happened to notice.
C. Persuasion. The Republican leadership, in an attempt to keep their members in line, are plying them with booze.
D. They realize how badly they are screwing up, and are trying to blot out reality.
E. They don’t realize how badly they are screwing up, they really think they are playing a winning hand, and are drinking to celebrate.
F. They are establishing an alibi. In October of 2014, as their next general election looms, Obamacare will be the law of the land and it might well have become popular even with their most fanatic right wing voters, who will have gone back to the old arguments about guns and abortion and totally convinced themselves that they were always for Obamacare. People are funny that way.
When they confront their congressmen and say “Why did you try so hard to block this,” they don’t want to have to say “It’s because you wanted me to, you teabagging moron.” This way, they’ll just be able to say “Well (which is pronounce way-ull), ah was drunk at the tahm.”
It worked for Earl Long, goddammit.
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