Jim Hightower

By gollies, you've got to hand it to those Republicans in Congress – they're a tenacious bunch! No, not tenacious. More like dogmatic. Obstinate, and obtuse, too. Pigheaded – yeah, that's it.

Once again, on July 11, GOP lawmakers threw a group hissy fit on the floor of the House over the Affordable Care Act that President Obama and the Democrats passed two years ago – a law the Supreme Court has just recently ruled to be constitutional. The House Repubs hate, hate, hate that law. So, all 244 GOP members pursed their lips in a collective pout and voted in lock step to repeal the blanket-blank ACA. That'll show Obama who's boss, they crowed!

Well, not really, since their "repeal" won't pass the senate, much less get past the President's veto pen. But these pouty solons are not really interested in legislating – they're into political peacocking, putting on a show for the fans in the far-right-wing bleachers. And apparently it's an interminable farce, for this was the 31st time that they've voted to repeal the law! Thirty-one replays with the same do-nothing result. Don't they have real work to do? At some point (probably back at about vote number 20 or 25) they crossed over from appearing ideologically steadfast… to just plain stupid.

They snidely assailed the health care reform as "Obamacare," as though that's a pejorative. But as the law has begun taking affect, more and more Americans are liking it, because it produces real benefits for us. Thirty million people who've had no coverage now will get it. Millions of seniors will get help in affording prescription drugs, plus all of us will get some relief from insurance company. "Obamacare" is fast becoming a label of pride.

If I was Obama, I'd run on it – and go after the petty politicos who're trying to take away the benefits it provides for people.