Gibson's puppet show

Rookie Tea Party Rep. Chris Gibson pretends that he cares deeply about the federal deficit, to the point that he is willing to join his fellow radical Republicans in crashing the country's economy by refusing to raise the debt limit.

In this as with most of his votes this year, Gibson is a reliable puppet of Republican House leaders John Boehner and Eric Kantor in refusing to support any tax increases or corporate loophole closings to deal with the alleged debt emergency.

More than that, Gibson is also a puppet of disgraced Republican political operative Grover Norquist -- Gibson has signed Norquist's pledge to never ever raise any tax or close any loophole.

Norquist famously wants a federal government so small that radical Republicans can drown it in a bathtub.

Which would mean the end of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, environmental regulation, VA hospitals, etc.

Gibson did four Independence Day events Monday, and evidently said nothing about his lack of independence as our Member of Congress, since he is more beholden to John Boehner, Eric Kantor, and Grover Norquist than he is to his constituents.

But then puppets never say anything that would upset their puppetmasters.