I know I am going to come off sounding as if I am a curmudgeonly old school traditionalis...

Well. Hang on a minute here.

That's what I am.

While we can all have a good howl at Spartacus and his Day of Senatorial Emotive Performance Art - the only thing missing was the literal toga - it was much ado about nothing. Booker isn't much of anything, and his barking at the moon affected nothing. There was no bill, no resolution to be stymied or heroically bolloxed. It was just a lonely man swaying, bug-eyed, at a podium in a cavernous, dark, empty chamber that echoed much like the voices in his cranium do.

However, what has been happening in the House has been a Theater of the Absurd. What makes it even more appalling is that it's been led by one of the MAGA media darlings who looks great on camera while spewing all the tough talking points until it comes to her own personal convenience following longstanding rules.

I'm referring to one of Florida's representatives, Anna Paulina Luna, who quit the 'Freedom Caucus' in a huff this week because those GOP ingrates wouldn't back her motion to allow a rules change for new Congressional parents to vote by proxy.

WHUT

She's just 'shattered' by the betrayal, you know.

Anna Paulina Luna resigns from House Freedom Caucus, says 'mutual respect' was 'shattered'

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is resigning from the House Freedom Caucus, she announced in a letter to fellow conservatives on Monday.

It's the latest escalation in her fight against House GOP leaders and a small group of members on the right flank of their conference over the issue of proxy voting. Luna has teamed up with Democrats and several other Republicans on a mechanism aimed at forcing consideration of legislation that allows new parents in the House to vote remotely for 12 weeks around their baby's birth.

"I have consistently supported each of you, even in moments of disagreement, honoring the mutual respect that has guided our caucus," Luna wrote. "That respect, however, was shattered last week."

Holy smokes, snowflake. I couldn't believe it when I read that. Get over yourself.

But sweet thing wasn't through yet.

What Luna did next to circumvent House leadership was introduce her bill to change the rule as a 'privileged' resolution.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is forcing a vote on legislation to enable new parents serving in Congress to vote remotely in the weeks surrounding the birth of their child.

Luna introduced the measure as a "privileged resolution" on Tuesday, which gives House leaders two legislative days to take up the measure.

It’s the latest in an increasingly high-stakes fight between Luna and House GOP leaders, who have teamed up with some of Luna’s now-former House Freedom Caucus colleagues to ensure she cannot force a vote on the legislation.

Luna’s initial plan to fast-track her bill despite opposition from House GOP leaders involved a discharge petition, a mechanism for getting a bill onto the House floor if it gets a majority of lawmakers’ signatures – which Luna’s resolution did.

...Luna’s bill, which is co-led by Rep. Brittney Pettersen, D-Colo., would give new moms and dads serving in Congress the ability to vote by proxy for up to 12 weeks surrounding the birth of their child.

Luna not only worked with Democrats to sidestep both the Speaker of the House and a hard and fast constitutional rule...

Anna Luna Paulina thinks her baby is the most important issue facing America.

She needs to be removed from office so that she can care for her baby.

— Rebel A. Cole (@RebelACole) April 2, 2025

...but pissed off Johnson to the point where he shut the whole circus down.

Here are the Republicans who voted with the Democrats. pic.twitter.com/BVLKyqVF6X

— David C (@beegjuan1) April 1, 2025

Before I offer up some supporting facts and opinions, let me just state for the record my own - I think this is an abominable way for Luna to behave. Being a member of Congress is a privilege, and with that comes following the rules, some of which are locked in stone for a reason.

Proxy voting is one of those and a Pandora's box of the first magnitude. Your giving birth doesn't confer some special additional status on you as a member of Congress, as you can always resign to spend that time with your child. Likewise, those new fathers.

But what's so infuriating about this entire exercise is that, unlike, say, me as a military mother, Rep Luna and her fellow actors in the virtue-signaling parade of 'FOR THE CHILDREN' petitioners...

We just changed House rules. pic.twitter.com/FVWG4kQMg0

— Tim Burchett (@timburchett) April 1, 2025

...have a brand-new $12M daycare facility right there.

Just 6 years ago Congress spent $12 MILLION US Taxdollars to build a 26,000-square foot on-sight Daycare Facility for members of Congress - so that Elected Officials like Anna Paulina Luna & Brittany Pettersen would have No Excuse for missing House Votes.https://t.co/73cQUhHKiV

— Michael Hustus