Die Laughing, Republican Style

So you thought the Grover Norquist robots of the Republican Party were only in it for themselves, their families, and their wealthy benefactors? Well, scratch the middle category:  a select group of extreme right wing House members are perfectly willing to throw their own flesh and blood under the bus -- or should I say hearse - just to make an ideological point.

Rep. Bill Posey of Florida and his gang of six conservatives want to do away with the payoff they'll get if they die in office.  Yes, you heard right: they are framing their bill as being all about money they personally would get as a dead body in good standing in Congress. Nothing about the spouses, the kids, or the grandkids in relinquishing the payout of a year's salary of $174,000.  

But then again, are they not the Living Dead zombies of supply side economics anyway? In their world, a pulse and respiration are just liberal concepts. They are the reanimated Norquistians, roaming the countryside, arms outstretched, sucking the lifeblood from the lower classes to keep themselves going.

Among the Gang of Seven is everybody's favorite old batty aunt from hell, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. You may remember Virginia as a frequent winner of Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" awards for her various heartless votes and remarks against everything from health care to education.  She said if Congress wants to provide for their families, look somewhere else besides her beloved taxpayers.  But please do continue paying for her franking privileges, travel, vacations, Cadillac health plan and generous pension.

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Way to be More Heartless

And then there is loveable curmudgeon Ron Paul (R-TX), who defiantly did not provide health coverage for employees of his last campaign, with the upshot being that his campaign manager died uninsured and destitute after the 2008 race.

Said Posey (who has never yet had one of his bills passed): "I believe Members of Congress should do what other Americans do, purchase their own life insurance."

Yeah!  Get down with the common people!  He went on, "And with so many Americans struggling to make ends meet - mostly because of bad policy coming out of Washington - this taxpayer funded 'gratuity' just adds more insult to injury. It's no wonder Americans have such a low opinion of Congress."

I am so relieved, aren't you?  They get it, they finally get why we have such a low (about 12% approval rating) opinion of them.  And now they are redeemed for altruistically agreeing not to take it with them when they get raptured up, or whatever their future plans are.

They Won't Be Smiling When Gramps Cuts Them Off:  The Posey Heirs

Do you think it's a mere coincidence that Posey's second largest campaign contributor is the insurance industry? And now that Congress will be forced to buy its own life insurance, the industry is champing at the bit, salivating over the ultra-high premiums the 60, 70 and 80-somethings will now have to fork over to pay for their own "final expenses." Posey certainly made sure to send a press release hyping his industry-friendly legislation straight to the insurance industry for their delectation.

The Republicans may get to have it both ways. Not only are they laughing all the way to the bank with lobbyist largesse, they'll be laughing all the way to the mausoleum too. And their heirs can just forget any ideas about Gram or Gramps conveniently kicking the bucket before their terms are up. You hear that, Rand Paul?

Fathers and Sons, the Ayn Rand Edition