Dysfunction Junction

“I don’t think you can assassinate people back-to-back, with no decent interval.” – U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-OK

Say what? My congressman, in the attached interview by ace reporter Chris Casteel of The Oklahoman, seems to be saying the Republican caucus in the United States House of Representatives should let a little time pass before it decides what to do with the eight rebels who cost now-former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy his job.

Cole also indicated he's unlikely to seek the vacant top spot but thinks fellow Oklahoman, Rep. Kevin Hern of Tulsa, would be just dandy as leader of the Party of Lincoln going forward, primarily due to his business acumen.

Hern himself touts his financial fortune accumulated by his ownership of several McDonald restaurants as well as diversification into banking, real estate and manufacturing as a primary reason his colleagues should promote him to the top dog job leading the dysfunctional and divided band of Republicans who currently own a razor thin majority margin of five votes in DC's lower house.

I'm not so sure about that. Hern pocketed millions of your tax dollars during the pandemic by keeping his private properties operating and thus qualified for thousands of dollars per employee for doing so. Some would say that is nothing more than corporate welfare and one of the someone's is me.

Our brand-new U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullen took advantage of the same federal largesse as well, so his plumbers and Hern's fry cooks kept their jobs and the two “free-enterprise” businessmen kept accumulating cash courtesy of you, the taxpayers.

I'm fine with Hern thinking, after only four short years in DC, he is ready to become the Big Cheese in Congress. But the fact he qualified during the COVID-19 nightmare for millions in federal assistance, while most of the rest of us did not, hardly stands out to me as similar to Warren Buffet's business brilliance.

No, it looks more like Hern being an insider who knew how to game the system for his own personal benefit.

That trait may be one that will garner him the support of many of his colleagues, but hold the mustard on the Nothing Burger that delivered Hern even deeper pockets courtesy of you, you, you and me.

Free-enterprise entrepreneurs? Free lunch, as well as breakfast and dinner dandies is more like it.