GOP Mothers

A.D. Freudenheim, The Editor

In today’s New York Times, columnist Gail Collins writes (apropos Vito Fossella’s second-family scandal):

As The Washington Post noted, this was on the same day that House Republicans moved to reconsider a unanimous vote commemorating Mother’s Day. It all had something to do with a procedural rebellion, but I think we can file that under the extremely large category of Unfortunate Republican Ideas.

Well, probably unfortunate, because one doubts the GOP’s motives. Still, a vote commemorating Mother’s Day had no place in Congress to begin with! The nation remains at war in two countries, we have major economic issues to face, and a mighty long list of other problems stemming from seven years of George W. Bush as president. So why is anyone in Congress, from either party, spending any time at all holding votes – symbolic or otherwise – about Mother’s Day?

Because Mother’s Day, alas, will happen with or without Congressional approval.

Though now that the door has been opened, perhaps we should push through it: perhaps Congress formally revoking Mother’s Day is not a bad idea – as long as it’s equal opportunity legislation and we scrap Father’s Day, too.

My thoughts on the holiday are here (and my thoughts from last year are here).