THE EARMARK

With the August recess looming on the horizon and no imminent health care reform, it appears that Congressional Summer 2009 will be mostly remembered for Michael Jackson, Perry Mason, and disturbingly ceaseless “birther” movement.

The latter topic has been a particularly big hit of late, from an angry mob screaming at Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) and to Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) hiding in a House supply store to avoid admitting that President Obama is a citizen.

But the most significant development on the topic has been the rise of the “birther bill,” introduced by Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL).  (The St. Petersburg Times speculates it was Posey’s ploy to finally get on Keith Olbermann’s show, but we suspect the congressmen just wants to keep Panamanians like John McCain out of the White House.)

Ultimately though, this bill is about President Obama, and it turns out that Posey isn’t the only representative who wants to waste our nation’s time questioning the man’s citizenship.  The Posey bill now has 11 co-sponsors, with the latest, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), signing on yesterday…

“I don’t know if it’s true or not,” Gohmert told the Washington Post’s Sleuth in a telephone interview Wednesday evening. “But I read that Lou Dobbs said [Obama's] original birth certificate was destroyed.”

Really Rep. Gohmert?  You’re a United States congressman — one of 435 elite individuals leading the people’s house of Congress — and you’re getting your news from Lou Dobbs?  Did you pick out the spittle first?

As long as you’re watching, Congressman, you might want to pick up a few nutrition tips from ol’ Lou as well.  We understand he has a few spare boxes of race-baiting waffles lying around the bunker.

At least that would steer the conversation back toward health care.

American democracy is one-of-a-kind.  Consider that average citizens in the likes of China and Saudi Arabia don’t dare criticize their terrifying leaders, lest they permanently disappear.  But in our country, it’s the politicians who don’t dare to cross their terrifying constituents — lest their flesh be torn apart by an angry mob.

Don’t believe us?  Well check out this video of Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) attempting to discuss health care at a public forum.  He calls on a reasonably unassuming woman, only to rouse a cadre of “birthers,” who goad him into defending President Obama’s American citizenship and force him to lead an impromptu Pledge of Allegiance.

If you watched that and want to deny the pure, unfettered terror in the congressman’s eyes, you’ve been spending too much time at Sarah Palin rallies.