Congress' Undeserved Giffords Moment

Curmudgeon Alert: The scene as she appeared in time to vote on the debt ceiling was clearly heartwarming for members of the House of Representatives and Americans who saw it played and replayed on TV. But with all due respect and admiration for Gabrielle Giffords, it granted an unearned moment of human feeling to politicians, most of whom have been behaving atrociously on life-and-death issues for millions of other Americans.

“Everybody’s heart was so grizzled and hardened,” says Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Giffords’ friend and chair of the Democratic National Committee. When she entered the room, “everybody’s heart just melted.”

“Suffice to say,” Nancy Pelosi gushes, “it was one of the most thrilling moments for all of us to see this real heroine return home to the House and to do so in such a dramatic time and make it even more dramatic.”

But Giffords’ moment of personal heroism should not obscure the ongoing heartless and mindless behavior of her other colleagues, John Boehner and his Tea Party gang.

If Giffords’ vote had been crucial in frustrating their intentions, would the teary Speaker and his troll Eric Cantor have hesitated to challenge her competence?

Politicians who can praise 9/11 responders to the skies and then try to deny them medical care are capable of anything.

All the best for a full recovery, Congresswoman, but take your time in getting back to this toxic environment.