The Hightower Report

When the going gets tough, Congress gets going!

On vacation, that is. They're taking off this entire month and much of September and October. Having howled about a host of huge issues – including the humanitarian crisis of immigrant children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and the growing crisis of our nation's crumbling infrastructure – Con­gress did nothing, then bolted off the job.

Okay, they did do one thing. They filed a frivolous lawsuit against President Obama, charging that he's been governing unilaterally by issuing executive orders. But there are at least three big problems with their suit.

First, Obama has issued far fewer executive orders than did George W., his GOP predecessor. Second, their suit claims the president defied Congress by inadequately implementing the Obamacare health reform – but, hello, Republicans fought that reform tooth and nail and are still trying to stop it from being implemented, meaning they're suing him for not doing something they don't want done. And third, as they departed for vacation, howling House leaders said that, in their absence, Obama should deport the suffering, terrorized migrant children who fled to the U.S. this summer. Incredibly, they demanded that – get this – the president should act unilaterally, by issuing an executive order.

These GOP Con­gress critters are nutty, ideological zealots, but luckily they're also incompetent.

Nonetheless, they are clogging the roadway, preventing any of the progress that America desperately needs. As a result, not only is the public fed up with them, but voter turnout is plummeting this year as people see that the "hell no" faction has turned democratic participation into a farce – so why bother?

It's okay that these right-wingers are killing themselves, but it's not okay that they're also snuffing out America's democracy.