And just when you thought Congress is a boring place where people in fancy suits mouth off complicated stuff that'll put you to sleep, this happens.

The House Ways and Means Committee was considering a pension bill. The night before, the Republican leader of the committee proposed his own party's substitute to put up for a vote. The next morning, Democrats decided to have the substitute read in its entirety as a delay tactic while they congregated next door in a library to set up some kind of strategy. To keep quorum, they left one Democrat in the chamber, 70-year-old Pete Stark, representative of Fremont and surrounding areas. Leader Bill Thomas didn't like the delay, so he called the police and the sergeant-in-arms to get the Democrats back into the hearing room, but to no avail. So he forced the reading to be suspended and asked if there were any objections with the bill. Hearing none, he quickly gaveled to end the hearing. Stark wanted his objection heard but Thomas replied it was too late. Prior to the gavel, Stark was unhappy with the reading of the bill, noting that "its eloquence overwhelms me, Mr. Chairman, just like your intellect does." To this, Colorado Congressman Scott McInnis told Stark to "shut up."

Stark replied, "Oh, you think you are big enough to make me. You little wimp. I said come over here and make me. I dare you. You are a little fruitcake. You are a little fruitcake. I said you are a fruitcake."

McInnis took this as a threat to his life, even though Stark was 20 years his senior. Calling the police is a big no-no in House decorum, since they're used to keep people out instead of control the people inside. Republicans defend their actions saying the police were needed to bring order to the room while Democrats believe it was to clear them out of the library.

Whatever the case, Democrats took their actions to the main floor, tying up pending legislation, and spending 3 hours discussing the conduct of the committee. A resolution condemning Thomas' actions failed and no formal apologies were given.

Just 24 hours earlier, congressmen were standing side-by-side cheering for British Prime Minister Tony Blair and now it has degenerated into this. How do I respond? Good for them. It's no secret they don't like each other. Just let it out. Don't fool the American people that all this cordial behavior is normal. If it was, why doesn't government work better than it is now? Fight for what you believe. Look at Britain. They can say and do whatever they want, I guess short of fighting. Their House of Commons seems passionate in their work while our representatives seem like ramblers stuck in red tape.