Jim Hightower

Sometimes, Congress gives hypocrisy a bad name.

Take Mike Enzi, Chuck Grassley, Orrin Hatch, Jim Inhofe, Jon Kyle, John McCain, and Richard Shelby. Those U.S. senators are among the 55 congress critters who've recently revealed themselves to be the most baldfaced hypocrites in all of Washington – and it takes some serious effort to earn that distinction!

They are all vehement opponents of the proposal to create a non-profit, government-run health insurance program – a "public option" giving folks a real alternative to being squeezed by insurance giants. "Socialism," squawk these lawmakers, declaring that they'll fight any big, bad government intrusion into the hallowed free market.

However, these bellicose market purists never mention one little personal detail: all 55 of them are on Medicare, meaning they gladly accept government-run health insurance for their families. Not only do they accept it, they looove it – and not a single one of them has had the integrity either to give up their taxpayer-funded health coverage or to shut up about how awful it would be for the rest of us.

But wait – that's not the end of their hypocrisy. Not only do these free-market babblers have publicly-financed insurance for themselves, but they also get government-provided health care. Right inside the Capitol is a secluded medical center, fully-staffed with doctors, nurses, technicians, pharmacists and other professionals dedicated exclusively to the care of the 535 members of Congress. And they essentially get this privileged medical care for free – courtesy of us taxpayers.

So if any of the 55 get bilious from one of their speeches demonizing the public insurance option for you and me, they can walk to their own government doctor and get a quick fix, then go right back to spewing more hypocrisy.