Ellington

"It's a huge disservice to our World War II veterans, to whom we owe so much. For them to step off the bus and be met with Park Service personnel and barricades, it's heartbreaking. And it makes me fighting mad."

—Republican U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi speaking to USA Today, regarding a planned tribute to Gulf Coast veterans in Washington, D.C., Oct. 1.

Why it stinks: Palazzo is one of the Republican congressional "leaders" responsible for the government shutdown that began at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1 because lawmakers could not agree on funding to keep the government open.

The USA Today story reports that the Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight escorted 91 Gulf Coast World War II veterans to the World War II Memorial; however, the shutdown mandated that the National Park Service put up barricades around National Mall memorials. The Smithsonian Institution museums—all huge tourist draws—also closed, and millions of workers were furloughed or asked to work without pay.

That's madness, all right—one of Palazzo's own making.