From Kevin Drum at Mother Jones we learn that those deficit-cutting, spending-slashing, earmarks-killing Tea Bagger types aren’t quite up to snuff when it comes to acting instead of merely acting out.
Big-mouthed, small-minded “rebels” like Michele Bachmann, Steve King and Lynn Westmoreland have all turned down seats on the House Appropriations Committee, which is where the fiscal rubber is going to be meeting a very rough road come the next Congress.
Yet rather than put their mouths where our money is, they prefer to sit on the fence, where they can continue to screech like retarded crows without consequence. Imagine my surprise.
Meanwhile, what has to be one of my favorite stories of the year comes from Steve Benen at Political Animal. Seems newly elected far-right Maryland congressman Andy Harris — an anesthesiologist who railed against taxpayer-subsidized health care to get elected — wants his taxpayer-subsidized health care right fucking now, and with a public option, thank you very much.
When Harris and his fellow congressional newcomers were told that their health coverage would take effect on Feb. 1, Harris suggested that’s not soon enough and asked if he could buy insurance from the government to cover the gap.
“This is the only employer I’ve ever worked for where you don’t get coverage the first day you are employed,” his spokeswoman Anna Nix told Politico.
Well, maybe an anesthesiologist gets health care from day one, I don’t know. I can tell you for sure than free-lance cycling journalists get jack shit, but at least it starts immediately.
Steve adds:
Harris wants to know “what he would do without 28 days of health care”? I don’t know, Andy, what have tens of millions of Americans, including millions of children, done without access to quality health care for years? Why are you entitled to government-subsidized health care, but they’re not? What will those families do after you repeal the Affordable Care Act? Wait for tort reform to magically cover everyone?
It’s not class warfare we need to fear. It’s no-class warfare, and this numbnuts is out there in the trenches, pretending to lead.
Mad Blog Media 
My congressman Steve King “just said no” to joining the gang which hands out the gummint loot? Maybe as a self-styled fiscal conservative he can’t be part of handing out even a single dime of the taxpayers precious funds? I sent him a letter recently to remind him if Republican control of the House simply returns to “borrow and spend” instead of “tax and spend” the same folks who voted these bozos into office can just as easily vote ’em out in two years.
Poor Mr. Harris. I feel sorry for him. 28 days without health insurance? Tell him to sign up for Obamacare.
The past two jobs I’ve had/interviewed for the health ins didn’t kick in until the first of the following month, regardless of when your start day was. Pretty scarry for those of us with loved ones who have urgent medical needs. Must be a new trend, my last job start (10 yrs ago) insurance was in place on day one. Welcome to the real fu@#ing world congressman Dipshit.
You got it. I spend the better part of an afternoon spreading the Andy Harris story a couple days ago, it pissed me off so much. Faux News didn’t touch it, AFAIK. Who woulda thot it?
I wasn’t elidgeable for health care for 90 days at my new job. It’s funny how their true colors come out when it comes to their needs. The Tea baggers are just setting themselves up for a major ass kicking from both parties. The guys with the power didn’t keep it by playing nice.