Foxx Gets Award for Active Mouth

We promise we're not making this up: the House Republican Conference, in an effort to boost the flagging morale of its soon to be smaller minority, has made up awards for pointless, endless gum-flapping on the House floor, and it gave one of those highly coveted awards to none other than Virginia Anne Foxx (NC-5).

Groused one Republican member, who evidently didn't get an award, "The idea that people who are in the House of Representatives need to give each other awards for talking bullshit, and that’s really what it is.... What kind of a party is that?"

"Foxx said she does what she can. 'The good Lord has given me limited talents, so I believe in using the ones he gave me,' said Foxx. 'I get positive feedback from my constituents when they see me on the floor.' "

Being seen on TV reading a script that runneth over with approved talking-points is what it's all about, though being seen at public events in your own district where citizens can ask questions ... not so much.

"Erick Erickson, who writes for the conservative blog RedState, was unimpressed by the caucus incentive program. 'Isn't [speaking on the floor] what they're supposed to do?' he asked. 'Maybe if we stopped being so lame and stopped doing stuff like this — stopped thinking of ways to self-reward ourselves — and actually did something, we'd be having better success this year.' "

Each of the honorees received (also NOT making this up) a commemorative oil can .... 40-weight, no doubt. Because they're an oily bunch? No, really, what IS the significance of that trophy?