THIS is what the Tea Party is about

Andrew McCarthy highlights the Bunning kerfuffle over extending unemployment benefits.

In this case, there ought to have been raging controversy: Bunning was objecting to yet another monthly extension of unemploymentpayments absent an explanation of how it would be paid for.
He was right to do so. These extensions happen continually. The stimulus — which is a redistribution of wealth from the private to the public sector, and from people who work to people who don’t — extended unemployment benefits for 53 weeks. Another extension in November added 20 more weeks. Cato’s Alan Reynolds reports that this brings the total to 99 weeks of benefits in high-unemployment states. The measure on which Bunning has relented adds another month. And having browbeaten him into withdrawing his objection, Democrats will now seek an extension through the end of this year, i.e., another 36 weeks or so.

Bunning was fighting the good fight. The Tea Party fight. But what happened? Republicans urged him to back down. Republicans.

In sum, Bunning’s battle gave Republicans a chance to make points about runaway deficit spending, the fraudulence of PAYGO posturing, the foolish redistribution of wealth to create expensive and unproductive government jobs, unemployment-benefit extensions that Democrats refuse to pay for and that actually increase unemployment, and the monstrous rationing that would be wrought by Obamacare. So, did Republicans rally behind Bunning? Not a chance.

THIS is why there is a Tea Party movement. It isn't about racism "straight up." It's about those fuckers in Washington acting in a manner that protects THEIR interests, not ours. Why did they get Bunning to back down? Because they're afraid of losing elections. Well, then why don't we all just give up?

What's the point in any of it?

If you really want to be depressed, go read the rest of McCarthy's article, in which he explains that the Democrats are ok with backing this electoral-loser health care bullshit, because they know that they'll get theirs in the form of a cushy, overpaid government job where no one will be able to see 'em or vote them out of office. With THAT as an incentive, growing government is always a winning proposition.