Giant Babies

I love that the GOP spent all night last night introducing amendments to the health care bill, hoping to send it back to the house (they were successful, but not in any substantive matter).  The finest was Tom Coburn's bill that wouldn't allow sex offenders to get Viagra.   The point, of course, is so that Democrats would vote against it and the Republicans could use that vote in an attack ad ("Senator Levin wants rapists to get boners...Can you trust him with your taxes?")  

I honestly don't know how anyone can see this as anything but the desperate act of petulant brats.  I think this is what happens when you reduce a party to intimidation and snark.  Is anyone defending this?  Did Tom Coburn just realize the bill needed this now, after a year and a half of talking about it?  Or is he just that reflexively dishonest?   Clearly it is the latter.  I really think that he is offended it didn't pass, and will get self-righteous about it. 

Remember that Simpsons' episode, Homerpalooza?  About the rock concert when Homer became a sideshow act?  Anyway, he was walking by two teens who had this conversation in very flat, disaffected voices.

Teen 1: Oh, here comes that cannonball guy, he's cool.
Teen 2: Dude, are you being sarcastic?
Teen 1: I don't even know anymore.

A perfect encapsulation of jaded, reflexive hipsterism.  I think the parallels here are clear.  When the GOP gets outraged over reconciliation or "deem and pass", things they have used before, dozens of times, and very recently, and call it tyranny and the stylings of a banana republic and Chavez-like totalitarianism, you would have to think they know they are being cynical and dishonest.  But I really don't think they even know anymore.  I think this fiery anger, this offended entitlement, is the default mode, so there is no way to tell legitimate offense from ginned-up controversy.

You know, Waq al-Waq was way more informative about Yemen, but never once mentioned The Simpsons.