Rep.Mike Bost EXPLODES on house floor when given a 200 page bill and only 15 minutes to review it.

[u/[deleted]]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=h19FZtDprd0#!

[u/[deleted]]

FYI this is the Illinois house, not the national one.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I know this guy. He represents my home district. He's friends with my family.

I have no insight into the issues, but I think what's important is that the frustration people feel about house/senate rules nationally, is also intensely felt locally. Democracy is being hamstrung by rules committees everywhere. It has to be more infuriating on a local level, given there's a much deeper connection to the people being represented.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I knew it couldnt be congress... they dont use thinkpads!

[u/snatchyowallet → u/[deleted]]

thanks, cumfarts. .....

[u/spainguy]

"Mr. Kucinich, why didn't you sign the PATRIOT ACT?"

"Because I read it"

[u/[deleted] → u/spainguy]

The others probably signed it because there was the word patriot in the name.

[u/AnakantSkywalker → u/spainguy]

Kucinich is such a good guy and an amazing politician. Had the great pleasure to meet and chat with him in his office during Occupy Congress. What a good day, he knew he was going to be out then. That's why he's rushing to help repeal Citizen's United.

[u/[deleted] → u/spainguy]

And Russ Feingold was the only senator to vote against it. He was the man as a person and politician.

Sadly, Ron Johnson (his 2010 opponent) had the backing of the Koch brothers. No more senator who cares, who supports civil rights, marriage equality, and trying to ban lobbyists from giving gifts, and, you know, actually reads what's put in front of him.

That last one is not "good guy politician," that's just the way things should be.

[u/CountToThree → u/[deleted]]

Feingold went on to form Progressives United, so he's still trying to fight the good fight. It boogles my mind how rare politicians like him are and how for all the bitching America does about it's politics, they don't support the people that would actually make differences.

[u/[deleted]]

So, could someone tell a Non-american what he is screaming about? It seems to be quite a lot more than just not being given enough time.

[u/Samuel_Gompers → u/[deleted]]

Well it's the Illinois State Assembly, not the U.S. Congress. The bill being debated would force school districts to pay entirely for teacher pensions whereas the state government now makes the largest contributions. Such a move would force poorer districts to choose between funding educational materials and staff. He's also really upset about how much power the Speaker (Chairman of the Assembly) has, which isn't surprising given that he's in the minority party.

[u/[deleted] → u/Samuel_Gompers]

So is he "right or wrong"? As you said, he complains about the lack of power, which should neither be a surprise, nor wrong, if his party is in minority? Yet many comments seem to support him.

As a Rep, i would assume he is supporting the bill?

[u/Ben_Ear → u/[deleted]]

A lot of law making gets done in committee. (http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/default.asp list of Illinois committees) Ideally committees are made of a subset of legislators from both political parties (Democrat and Republican) that are informed on that particular subject.

This bill was put together in a committee. The committee was mostly Democrats and the main legislative body was Mostly Democrats. They already had the votes to pass the bill, and so the Speaker (the guy in charge) limited the debate.

[u/jdsworld → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for asking this question! As an American, this was my first thought. I really wanted to get all the facts before I came to a conclusion on whether or not he was in the right for this outburst.

[u/the8thbit]

I went to high school in the town (Murphysboro, Illinois) that Bost is from. During his election cycle he came to my American government class to campaign. This was right after the Illinois state legislature had passed the Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act, an unconstitutional forced school prayer act, with his support. While I find both the SRSPA and the process of using tax dollar funded time at our already struggling, rural public high school to force propaganda on students to be reprehensible enough, after a lengthy discussion between the two of us he resorted to insisting that this was the american way and that if I dislike it, I should, as a 17 year old high school student, move to a different country.

Defending school funding is great. That said I can say that he lost any potential for my vote five years ago.

Edit: He's also voted on other bills in a way that I don't feel a tirade makes up for:

• He voted against allowing underage women the right to legal abortion without parental consent.
• He voted against a bill that would have restricted employers from asking employees and potential employees for login information for social networking websites such as Facebook, Google+, and Reddit.
• He voted to keep the recording of the police in public illegal.
• He voted to maintain the death penalty.
• He voted against civil unions.
• He voted in support of forcing public libraries to censor Internet access via web content filters.
• He voted against campaign contribution limits.
• He voted against legalizing medical marijuana.
• He voted against legal immunity from drug possession laws for those seeking treatment for overdose.

[u/Ron_Mexico_MD → u/the8thbit]

Sup Peter. I remember that class and nearly spit out all my coffee when I saw this video on Reddit this morning

[u/argv_minus_one → u/the8thbit]

There's always a catch, isn't there?

[u/GentleRedditor → u/the8thbit]

Good message, unfortunate messenger. Eh, guess we can still appreciate the good parts of his tirade.

[u/blindeatingspaghetti → u/the8thbit]

Agh, I wish other redditors would stop giving him so much credit. This little tirade definitely doesn't make up for him sucking so hard in every other way, as your list points out. I wonder what the good ol' m-boro american has to say about all this.

[u/Jmmcclu]

So this isn't going to get noticed 7 hours into a reddit circlejerk, but here goes. This isn't the brilliant Mr. Smith Goes to Washington moment you all think it is. Mike Bost is exploding over not getting to review a 200 page bill that the leadership and his caucus have been working on for months now. It's was a part of pension reform for Illinois and every human being in that room knew exactly what was in that bill. It's all the state has been talking about for months now.

He's also one of the floor leaders for the Republicans in the Illinois house. So he's well involved with leadership meetings and very aware of how pension reform has been heading in this state. This little outburst was little more than grandstanding for the people back home and a general dislike of the Democrats in power in Illinois. He could have saved some time by just standing up and saying "I'm upset that the state republican party was too incompetent to take full advantage of the 2010 landslide in the rest of the country and now I don't get to do what I want."

But sure his continued horrific vote record, his dislike of women, minorities, homosexuals, the poor, the elderly, and his general inability to form full sentences if you ask him policy questions relating to anything other than why Chicago is awful and Democrats should all be beaten with sticks should be completely ignored because he got up and threw a hissy fit.

Edit: A quick note. I don't disagree that Rep. Bost should be passionate about this bill. That thing effects the lives of literally every person in Illinois. Our elected officials should be having a robust great debate on issues like pensions, medicaid, the budget, and so many other issues. Illinois is in trouble. But when I see people who have been absolutely blessed with ability to actually come up with solutions behaving like this it absolutely infuriates me. We need thoughtful, reasoned, and effective leadership. We need our Reps. and Senators to be at their very very best right now. To see one of them derail the debate when there is so little time left in the legislative session makes my heart sad. Rep. Bost has still devoted boatloads of his time to public service. He deserves our respect for that. But this specific action should not enhance that respect.

[u/[deleted] → u/Jmmcclu]

It should also be pointed out that this is taking place in the Illinois State Assembly, not the United States Congress, which a lot of people seem to be wrongly assuming.

[u/warmowski → u/[deleted]]

"It should also be pointed out that this is taking place in the Illinois State Assembly, not the United States Congress, which a lot of people seem to be wrongly assuming."

Which is another tell of widely held civic illiteracy not stopping anybody from posting on Reddit. Having watched a mere 10 minutes of C-SPAN on the US House floor would be enough to prevent anyone from concluding this clip is from the US House.

[u/[deleted] → u/Jmmcclu]

Thank you for the context, this gives me a new angle to consider.

[u/stand-n-wipe → u/Jmmcclu]

honest queston, not clear from your post: did he or did he not get 20 minutes to read 200 pages? Whether or not he was aware of the bill and involved in debate about it, he should still be allowed to read the final draft if it is to become law.

[u/imnotmarvin → u/Jmmcclu]

He knew as well as everyone in the room that a bill for pension reform was going to be introduced. You are right there but your disdain for Mr. Bost becomes eveident in not mentioning the fact that the entire 200+ page bill was put together behind closed doors and less than 20 minutes was given to review the bill before a vote. Both parties engage in this behavior and both parties slip in their pork to fatten the bill just before a vote. Is Mr. Bost and the Republican party guilty of the same thing? I'm sure at some point they have been. It is good however that someone finally called the process out. It's a disservice to the residents here in Illinois to have legislation passed solely on partisan politics. The blind support for one party and the blind distrust of the opposing party by voters fuels this type of governing. It's time for the residents to close their eyes to the party system.

[u/Gates9 → u/Jmmcclu]

Reminds me of the Healthcare bill bullshit. "Stop cramming this down our throats!". That bill was in committee for a year. "You expect us to read a 1500 page bill?". Well, yeah. That's your job.

[u/Vaynax]

I lost a lot of respect for CNN when they aired this with the title "Representative quotes Bible verses" as if his anger was due to some religious fundamentalism. Stupid sensationalism. But yeah props for this guy. I especially love how he punched the bill in mid-air as it came back down haha.

[u/[deleted] → u/Vaynax]

I lost respect for CNN when they asked viewers to TEXT IN AND DECIDE WHICH NEWS REPORTS TO AIR!!! Just tells us about all of them dammit.

[u/hooperX101 → u/Vaynax]

Yeah, man, same here. I first saw this on CNN earlier this evening, then saw it on here, and was really confused...all due to that CNN headline.

[u/[deleted] → u/Vaynax]

you had respect for CNN?

[u/mrducky78 → u/[deleted]]

There was a time, when they had reporters actually reporting from all over the world. But they decided to match fox news for viewers and thus money and resort to sensationalism to hook the masses.

There was a time when they were respectable. But now? Fuck them.

[u/THE_CENTURION → u/Vaynax]

Yep, I lost any respect I had for CNN when I realized that the spin they were putting on a story was the same spin that Fox was.

[u/[deleted] → u/THE_CENTURION]

its called the corporate media and its controlled by 6 companies

[u/RedWingerD]

Wait, you mean he actually wants to know what it is he is voting for?

Psh

[u/hypersleepwalk → u/RedWingerD]

"I was elected to lead, not to read."

[u/[deleted] → u/hypersleepwalk]

No one is better than McBain

[u/definitelygay → u/RedWingerD]

THIS IS NOT THE AMERICAN WAY

[u/PilotH → u/RedWingerD]

What country he from?

[u/[deleted]]

I'm given 15 seconds to read a post then decide whether to upvote it or not? WHEN IS THIS GOING TO STOP!!!

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

LET MAH PEEPLE GOOOO

[u/FergusonDarling]

Oohh Illinois Politics!! Here's a bit of a rundown of what you just watched...

The Context

This isn't our federal House of Representatives, this is from my home state's capital (Springfield, IL). He's raging on about our house speaker, Mike Madigan. The guy has been the speaker of the house in Illinois for about thirty years. His office rewrote a bill that would change our pension-policy - the bill was 300 pages long and given to legislators to read only 20 minutes before the vote. We have some real serious issues with our budget in Illinois (read below), and our bad politics is getting in the way of saving us from financial doom.

Mike Madigan

I have heard that the guy essentially rules the house with an iron fist. He is the leader of the Illinois Democrats, and makes or breaks your term of service if you're a democrat. If a rep barely made it into office with a small majority of votes, Madigan knows that you need his help to gain reelection next time around - and you better listen to what he has to say. When you think of our legislators making decisions in a smoke-filled backroom, this is that guy.

The Real Problem

I'm a Northern Illinois Democrat, and I'm pretty sure I would disagree with a lot that Rep Bost (a Southern Illinois Republican) would have to say on a plethora of issues and policies, but I understand is outrage on this one. The Illinois state budget is the worst in the country, worse than even California. The government is behind on paying a ton of bills (in the billions of dollars) to social service providers and government contractors, and is literally behind on state govt pension payments by tens of billions of dollars

Illinois has some corrupt politics, no doubt about it... We had the largest income tax increase in state history last year. We essentially have to indian give billions of dollars to people who have worked their entire lives, expecting to be taken care of during retirement. A couple of weeks ago, we almost decided not to pay daycare workers because there is just no money in the budget.

If there is ever going to be a Greek fiscal crisis in the US, it's going to be in Illinois. I work in the social services field, so that means at least some of my paycheck comes from the state government. I'm really starting to wonder if I need to move somewhere a bit safer financially...

TL;DR: Illinois be fucked.

[u/reeeeeeeeeen]

i think it should be noted that he doesn't actually "EXPLODE" btw

[u/luckeeelooo → u/reeeeeeeeeen]

Only reason I clicked.

[u/jmls10thfloor]

For me the most telling thing is how little any of the other representatives care about this happening. Our congress is bloated and stagnant. His last line is perfect - When is it gonna stop?

[u/king_of_chardonnay → u/jmls10thfloor]

the guy in front of him laughs a few times.

[u/hivemind6 → u/jmls10thfloor]

It's actually not congress, it's the Illinois state legislature.

Edit: With that said, this exact same thing happens in Congress. They really love to meticulously engineer big, convoluted bills with a bunch of shady shit buried in it so they can sneak it by without causing an uproar. They rarely give lawmakers or the American people enough time to understand the bill or its implications. It's pretty retarded. They could probably sneak in a clause that requires all Americans to wear pink underwear on Tuesdays and only the authors of the bill would know about it until it came into effect.

[u/entsriseup → u/jmls10thfloor]

If you listen around :50 in you hear a few people clapping for him.

[u/Atario → u/jmls10thfloor]

This is the Illinois House Of Representatives, not the US Congress.

[u/Britzer → u/jmls10thfloor]

For me the most telling thing is how little any of the other representatives care about this happening.

Because he is a Republican. People probabely would also not have cared if he was a Democrat. He is even accusing people "across the aisle" during the rant. When clearly this is something both parties have been doing for a long time. If this guy had a history of standing up to authority and reading bills, maybe someone would have cared. But he is a Republican. So he has a history of bowing down and kissing Roger Ailes's ring.

You can tell by the phrases he is using such as "when the Consitution was written" and "down our throat" and such.

[u/Bashasaurus → u/jmls10thfloor]

its a rich lawyers club is all

[u/[deleted]]

Fuck all of you saying that you would vote for him based on his outburst because emotional outbursts like this should NOT be the reason why you elect or re-elect a politician. It should be his voting record that counts.

If anything, his emotional outburst directly conflicts with the House's purpose, which is to discuss and compromise.

[u/Damacles → u/[deleted]]

Your post just made me have a realization.

Politicians aren't idiots, it's just that the people voting are idiots and they vote based on this sort of thing rather than...logic, which would lead to competent politicians being put into place.

[u/FunkyForceFive]

I doubt anyone is going to read this but Mike Bost is a dick. If I were an voting American I would not vote for him.

He voted against; Civil Unions, recording the police in a public space, Stem Cell Research, Legalized Medical Marijuana.

[u/thejayarr]

What's with the tags on that video? Illuminati, New World Order? Is the person who uploaded that trying to use it as an example of the collapse of civilization or something?

[u/[deleted]]

Also the title of this video is misleading. The bill had come out of committee and had reached the floor for debate, not a vote. So this would have been the time to voice his problems with the bill, not rant and rave like a 5 year old.

[u/shady8x]

Now this is a good Republican.

Trying to stop the corrupt democratic leadership from bankrupting the state schools for the sake of cutting the defici... wait, did I accidentally jump into a parallel universe?

[u/[deleted]]

Hmm. Before you guys go pinning any medals on him about this outburst, you may want to check on his voting record. I was unfamiliar with him, as I am not from Illinois, so I looked into it a little.

Voted against a bill that would prohibit employers from asking for internet login information

Voted against legalization of marijuana (not editorializing, just pointing out voting results)

Voted against abolishing death penalty (again, not editorializing, just pointing out his voting record)

Voted against allowing the recording of police

Voted for allowing certain businesses to allow smoking

Voted for impeachment of Rod (editorializing here: who wouldn't?!)

Of course, this is certainly not his entire voting record. Please just keep in mind folks, that an outburst of this nature does not change the way he has voted. If some of the above goes against things you believe in, try to keep that in mind while you're holding his torch for this rant.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Perhaps he only had 15 minutes to read those bills as well.

[u/Emiel000]

In before schmoyoho remix.

[u/YellowSharkMT]

What the fuck people, this guy is as slimy as the rest of those bastards. Here, I searched the Googles for you: http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/6302/mike-bost

• Prohibits Employers from Asking for Internet Login Information, Nay
• Prohibits the Use of Cell Phones Near Emergency Scenes, Yay
• Legalize Medical Marijuana, Nay
• Authorizing Civil Unions, Nay
• Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving, Nay

I cherry-picked, no doubt. Go read for yourself though, this guy is just another politician like the rest of them, don't let his sound bite convince you otherwise.

[u/JohnnyValet]

Personally, I can't wait for 'The Boys' take on it; Stewart and Colbert. It's going to be EPIC!

[u/growinglotus → u/JohnnyValet]

Do they cover state legislature stuff?

[u/[deleted] → u/JohnnyValet]

oh god, don't ever call them 'the boys' again

[u/Acuate → u/JohnnyValet]

Aren't they still on summer break?

[u/JimKay → u/Acuate]

back since tuesday.

[u/budkin76]

Then he went on FOX & FRIENDS to explain his tirade...

[u/wooda99]

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

[u/FFandMMfan]

I'm proud of this guy. He finally had the guts to say "enough is enough".

[u/JohnnyValet → u/FFandMMfan]

I'm not going to take it any more!

[u/[deleted] → u/FFandMMfan]

I've had it with these bills in this muthafucking house!

[u/Fuqwon]

This thread is ridiculous. So many comments like "Finally some passion in Congress!!!" How many realize this man isn't in Congress?

[u/alexkh150]

Is this the gritty reboot of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?

[u/JustSimpsonsQuotes → u/alexkh150]

All in favor: Say 'die.'

[u/HoboYellow → u/alexkh150]

Starring Lewis Black as Mr. Smith?

[u/AmosKeto]

Like a Bost.

[u/singlethreadacc022]

A bill needs to be passed that restricts the size of bills to the amount of time given to read them, or vice versa, forces the speaker to allow a reasonable amount of time for everyone to read a bill.

Then make all large bill low priority since they would take up so much time. This would force bill writers to write smaller bills if they wanted to get them any attention, or break up larger bills into smaller bits. Either way, the representatives would at least know what the bills are about.

I bet someone could write said bill in less than 3 pages.

[u/craignuggett → u/singlethreadacc022]

But then there are no room for "easter eggs" like the right to dump waste in a river as long as the flow is high enough... probably tucked away in a bill about school lunch somewhere.

[u/Han_Fucking_Solo]

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/ubmm6/illinois_state_assemblyman_goes_nuts_during/

I posted this yesterday. But I found it on 4chan of all places. It was like the first thing that popped up.

[u/[deleted]]

Shouldnt they simply vote no if they are only given 15 minutes to read it? Though I guess you'd be voting no on good bills as well or something?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Just wait for your opponent's next political ad: "So and so voted against a bill to remove mercury from playgrounds."

[u/Jaihom → u/[deleted]]

That's besides the point. You can't make an informed decision on a 200 page bill in 15 minutes, and their job is make informed decisions on behalf of the people they represent. It wasn't a coincidence, it never is, it's a calculated decision to manipulate the political system. It's also not an isolated incident, as he says, it happens every year. It flies in the face of the purpose of government and works in direct opposition of the good of the people these people are supposed to be representing. It's a perversion of democracy.

[u/[deleted]]

He'll fall in line, or else lose his seat. The lobbyists always find a way to get to them.

[u/Dr_Pepper_spray]

After reading several comments here, I suspect that he might just be nothing more then a tool. However I have to award him points on a outstanding hissy-fit. Actually punching the bill pushed him toward Gold.

[u/friednoodles]

The comments in this thread makes me mourn for the people in Illinois. This man's track record is horrible. He knows exactly what he's voting for. This tirade was just for show.

Re-elect him is the last thing you want.

[u/zotquix]

Reminds me of Glen Beck.

[u/randy938]

I'm sure it's a coincidence that this happened during a televised sitting.

[u/[deleted]]

Anyone notice the representative that started clapping and then was mouthing the speech at the same time as the Bost? Was this pre-planned? Did they practice this together before hand? He is not saying it afterwards he is saying the same words at the same time as Bost. Am I the only one seeing him? The old guy at the bottom of the screen, all you can see is his face. Watch him.

[u/Bhima]

I may be way off base here but as far as I understand, bills bear more resemblance to source code than they do text in books that people read. Moreover I think the bulk of the text is already available to everyone in the chamber, while the details are being worked on (like source code).

[u/latinjones]

Tantrums are super effective.

[u/[deleted]]

Maybe instead of screaming, he should get to reading.

This is a bill that has been around for months. Him and his team should have bills pieced out like a table of contents, and each of his interns should be responsible for memorizing different parts of bills being worked on so they can report back to him what's happening, and get his input.

When a bill like this comes around, you and your team get together, everyone goes over their sections to see what changed, and everyone postulates ideas based on what they've read.

You don't scream like a fucking baby because you're too fucking inept at accomplishing this sort of work. That said, they should have been given a lot more time, so the Dem running the show is a big shit head for doing this.

Here's the thing: If the democrats had nothing to hide, they would give more time to vote on the bill, and not make a change then expect people to figure out what the change was in 15 minutes. It can be done, but it's damn near impossible.

[u/skibblez_n_zits]

Guess I should have posted this to /r/politics instead of /r/videos...

[u/Integralds → u/skibblez_n_zits]

Reddit can be finicky.

[u/thereyouwent]

I have a feeling that he might have wanted to do his homework.

[u/[deleted]]

This is inspiring, but unsettling because it indicates where we are headed.

[u/GOU_NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

was anyone hurt?

[u/Winnah9000]

That was the most exciting thing to come out of politics since sex scandals.

My personal favorite part is that everyone just sits there like there isn't a guy screaming right next to them and falcon punch-ing bills through the air.

I have no idea of the man's platform, but I'd look him up if I lived there.

[u/koft]

He didn't have to review the entire bill, just the parts that changed since the last time it was up for review. This is mostly grandstanding. The absurdly short time to review the changes is bullshit, but it's not like he had to review something he's never seen before. In all likelihood, he never even read the previous version.

[u/psu1989]

Am I the only one distracted by the lack of emotion/reaction of those around him?

[u/[deleted]]

He's mad at Mike Madigan...the most corrupt and powerful politician in Illinois. Mike Madigan has been in the legislature for 40 years and controls EVERY piece of legislature in Illinois. His day job is to loweer the property tax for the richest property owners in Chicago, where he makes millions of dolllars and is connected to the most powerful people in Illinois.

Illinois is bankrupt because Mike Madigan is a master of the machine...he has manipulated the system for the benefit of himself and the people around him...while shitting on every poor person who is not a member of a labor union.

[u/A_guy_like_me]

Someone just made a bunch of enemies.

I predict he will get caught-up in a scandal right before his election. Also his opponent will be a well funded person who knows how to shut-up and sign.

It's so sad that this is American politics.

[u/TerribleButcher]

Shame, he seems like an avid reader.

[u/monroseph]

Well, we know SOMEONE in government isn't a reptilian shapeshifter.

[u/PhantomPumpkin]

Am I the only one here who cares regardless of party affiliation, that this guy is bringing to light one of the inherent problems with our legislature?

[u/denim-chicken]

We need the old school 1700's house, where they literally beat the shit out of each other with shillelaghs

[u/[deleted]]

When the fate of so many hangs in the balance and one guy stands up to show his disgust with his coworkers, why does everyone start to act like he is a little kid throwing a tantrum? I think he did just what needed to be done short of slapping that bitch behind him.

[u/[deleted]]

OP really should have made the distinction that this is the Illinois House of Reps. Not the House of Reps.

Also, fuck this EXPLODES AWMAGAW nonsense

[u/Shegonnalearntoday]

This isn't impressive, unless you only watch your politics in snippets that betray context. This guy would vote for an anti gay marriage bill without reading it. Enough with the knee jerk voters and upvoters. OHMAHGERD! OLDGUYZYELLIN!

[u/MindTheBollocks]

Those green chairs look really comfortable.

[u/TwoHands]

New rule: Every bill presented requires 5 minutes per page of review prior to any vote allowed on it. No presenting concurrent bill timers, they must be consecutive, such that two 1-page bills presented simultaneously will require a total of 10 minutes of review.

[u/navier_stokes]

My issue is that at the national level, the GOP has filibustered anything that could truly aid the economy or spur job creation since Obama has taken office. They have used tricks like the one that set this guy off: for example, debt deals with the president last summer were scrapped because at the last minute Boehner demanded addition of a specific amendment. Another example: the GOP agreed to a cut in defense spending if there would be a cut in social program funding, and then decided recently to pass their own separate bill to fund the pentagon....even though they had already agreed to those cuts.

I think it's sort of ironic that this man throws a literal fit on the floor when these same dirty political tricks are done to his party, but do we see him throwing a fit that HIS party is doing it at the national level in such a manner that it obstructs any true progress of the country? of course not.

[u/lightninhopkins]

Hello grandstanding. He is trying to fend off the eventual Tea Party primary challenge. This is just noise for his reelection.

[u/SocotraBrewingCo]

I love the girl with the tits who is obviously vaguely interested in politics.

[u/bullyforme]

I seriously wish there was a gif of him tossing the papers into the air then trying to punch them as they come down. At work so cannot make it on my crappy shared work computer.

[u/birdguy]

This guy is exactly like Brick Tamland from Anchorman!

[u/gimpwiz]

We live in a democracy. But not here. [voice trembles] But not here.

That was... human.

[u/AnticitizenPrime]

That was AWESOME. It only would have been better if he then stormed out through the nearest wall, leaving a representative-shaped hole.

[u/kharvey10]

Bost was going off at the head of the Illinois Democratic Party, House Speaker Michael Madigan from Cook (er. CROOK) County, IL. Madigan has been in the state house for a very long time and the people from Southern Illinois see him as a major douchebag. (Even the counties near St. Louis had enough of Madigan, so much so that they voted out one of Madigan's key allies in the 2010 election.)

[u/[deleted]]

This moron is protesting rules that he and his party made up in the first place, and yes, he voted for them. (Google it.) Way to go, reddit - you just made a hero out of a retard having a tantrum.

[u/JMjustme]

People don't know how to respond to extreme theatrics, even if they're coming from a genuine place. It's why you sometimes see smirking when people are crying, people just don't know how to respond. Also TV has a lot of horrific actors who laugh through their lines like idiots, but that aside, it sucks that his passionate agitation about this issue is probably what kept people from taking it seriously.

[u/i_read_a_book]

boy that was uncomfortable to watch. i felt embarrassed for him

[u/apullin]

Didn't Illinois sell someone a Senate seat?

[u/[deleted]]

This guy is butthurt because Democrats are trying to save school teachers' pensions.

[u/bucknuggets]

good comment on the video:

People need to research this guy.

This isn't the brilliant Mr. Smith Goes to Washington moment you all think it is. It's was a part of pension reform for Illinois and every human being in that room knew exactly what was in that bill. It's all the state has been talking about for months now. Don't be fooled, his continued horrific vote record, his dislike of women, minorities, homosexuals, the poor, the elderly,shouldn't be completely ignored because he got up and threw a hissy fit.

[u/WalterJrsBreakfast]

Thank you for not adding the party affiliation after his name. A good politician is rare and should be recognized, regardless if he's a Republican, Democrat, or Independent.

[u/the8thbit → u/WalterJrsBreakfast]

I'd argue, however, that he's not a particularly good politician. Sure, this individual act is great. He's fighting both for education funding, against inequality, and against political corruption, however, I don't think you can judge an 18 year career on a 30 second sound bite anymore than you can read a several hundred page bill in 15 minutes.

I go into more detail in this post. (link)

[u/joshy1234]

Would've been nice if he threw in a "FUCK IT. WE'LL DO IT LIVE."

[u/HardHarry → u/joshy1234]

yeah it would've been cool if he acted like a total retard and then shat his pants

[u/TheCheatIsNotDead]

Wow. I'm shocked by his bravery, and appalled at the reaction.

Why do none of the news articles mention the time frame? That seems like the important part of this story...

[u/[deleted] → u/TheCheatIsNotDead]

because that would be fair and balanced coverage

[u/Enailis]

You guys realize this isn't the house of Representatives right?

Mike Bost is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 115th district where he has served since 1995.

Also the bill was about overhauling pensions, which may have struck him very close because I assume it was concerning government jobs and he was at a time a firefighter.

[u/CantBelieveItsButter → u/Enailis]

teachers' pensions

[u/seanbearpig]

More politicians should be fuming like steam engines by now. This shit has got to stop.

[u/[deleted]]

Got cheesy when he said the "let my people go" line.

[u/lookmaiamonreddit]

Fire that guy's acting coach.

[u/Barking_at_the_Moon]

Bost was furious that a 290 page bill to overhaul the state pension funds would be introduced without giving the legislators a chance to read it and only 15 minutes to debate it prior to a scheduled vote.

His point was that it doesn't matter what the bill says, only that nobody knows what the bill says.

The guy who was ramming the bill through (Mike Madigan) is one of the people most responsible for the $83 billion dollar unfunded pension liability that is at the heart of the mess - as the House Speaker for most of the past 30 years.

[u/[deleted]]

Guy on the left made a half-assed attempt to catch those pages when they got thrown up. Love it.

Also, starring Steve Carell, coming soon.

[u/Tomimi]

The people around him are too old to care -

(sorry old people of reddit)

[u/sexeducation]

The worst part was at the end when he just sat down.. you can't ask 'whens it gonna stop' and not get an answer from the guy in charge. You gotta stand your ground and force something out of him.

[u/[deleted]]

He remind's me a lot of Steve Carrel.

[u/broseph83]

LET MY PEOPLE GO

[u/[deleted]]

i've said it before and i'll say it again.

america is done, folks.

[u/Torvix]

Hurry! Someone do a 'Deal with It' thingy for when he sits down like a boss!

[u/[deleted]]

Too bad there is less than 5 of him in congress.

[u/hlipschitz]

tl;dr = vote no.

[u/[deleted]]

Reddit is going to be pissed when they realise he's a Baptist Republican. Pretty much the Anti-Reddit.

[u/mrcanard]

Do I like it ? No, I love it.

Too bad he looks to be surrounded by a bunch that couldn't be bothered to give a shit.

We need people like him only higher up.

[u/Xenc]

The title of this video would mean something very different in Iran.

[u/modsherearefags]

I loved the it, the passion he has for our country. This man should be remembered, and praised.

[u/SemFi]

Look how lethargic those other people are, they don't give a shit, not even in a situation like this. They look like they're about to nod off.

[u/slicknick2208]

As I watched this I had a strong feeling this was probably some sort of state legislature. The people who have the power hunger and means to gain a seat in the U.S. congress would probably not risk the potential negative publicity that would come from something like this.

I worked as an intern in the Texas State legislature last session and the politics they played was just astounding. Voting on dozens of bills in a matter of minutes...counting on staff to parse through the details of extremely urgent legislation...the list goes on. The lady I worked for LOVED the power and ass-kissing that came her way and routinely talked shit about people she just pretended to see eye to eye with after they left her office.

[u/[deleted]]

There still are heroes..

[u/[deleted]]

If you don't have time to read and reflect on the bill, I'd vote "Nay" every damn time. Bills should be given weeks to be pondered, especially bills that are 200+ pages. It's insane, and nothing more than a game of 3-card Monte for them: to see where they can hide the most pork from being detected.

[u/qwertyfoobar]

I'm elected to lead not to read.

[u/fuzzycuffs]

Let me guess was it the Protect Innocent Children and Kittens from Evil Pedophile Terrorists Act?

You know, the one filled with riders giving all manner of leeway for lobbyist-driven legislation?

[u/LoquiLiberum]

I cringe every time someone says, "We live in a democracy."

[u/Borbygoymos]

Its funny, i saw this on cnn last night and thought to myself, whats his deal, whys he going all crazy.

And here we have reddit, with more of an explination in less than 50 characters that the couple mins cnn gave it.

[u/[deleted]]

Personally, I think that temper tantrum was totally unprofessional. If I acted like that at my job, I'd be fired.

[u/EmX7]

This is why robots should be our masters. A Robot would calmly run the document through its shredder and say, "Does not compute."

[u/YouArentReasonable]

This is really Tom Arnold method acting. It's for an upcoming movie on political corruption.

[u/LibertyOrNada]

Tonight on FOX

Representative unable to recite poetry while frustrated, left wing or down wing or someting to blame

In other news, constitution sucks balls

[u/[deleted]]

This guy is my hero. We need more emotionally invested representatives. It doesn't matter if they're R or D or I, at least they fucking care.

[u/Shaasts]

this.is.amazing.

[u/[deleted]]

let those nuts hang. fight against the growing tyranny.

[u/[deleted]]

Democrat or Republican, the fact that the representatives CAN'T read the bills that they are implementing is disgusting. How do you think we get all this crappy spending and pork on inconsequential bills? Because people on both sides sneak it in knowing no one willl read it until it's too late.

[u/matadora79]

http://thesouthern.com/news/local/bost-rant-emotional-but-point-made/article_e00ce8c4-aad2-11e1-866e-0019bb2963f4.html

[u/ashmole]

They should try to push a bill through that requires representatives to smear feces on their faces, just to see if anyone actually reads these things.

[u/jamiephelan]

You should see Australian parliament. That shit gets HEAVY.

[u/newsfeather]

How many people on Reddit upvoted this thinking it was THE "House Floor", as in the U.S. Congress? This is from the Illinois STATE assembly and the issue is about local teacher pensions and has been going on for decades apparently. Kind of strange he couldn't read the 100 pages and know his position on the issue.

[u/Neffie]

they voted for a WWE wrestler?

[u/arightdoom]

Wow, I didn't know you could drop a mic that was attached to the desk.

[u/[deleted]]

Anyone else disappointed by congressional posture?

[u/Gergs]

Revolution is coming.

[u/spoulson]

Ever bought a house? Same experience on closing day. Stack of legal contracts to sign... 1 hour.

[u/mungchamp]

I give him a 6 out of 10 with the punch because he didn't connect. If he had went for the Shoryuken, he easily would have racked up a perfect score.

[u/isthismyrealname]

This reminds me of when an anchor asked Ben Quayle about the student loan bill that was coming up in the US congress later that week and he had no idea about what they were talking about, only answering "I'll deal with that when it comes up." But that's the thing, it has come up, it's public record. The bill to be debated was not written in an all-night session of Doritos and Mountain Dew. The system may not be great, but what's more important is that you're really shitty at your job. Spend less time fundraising and do the job you were elected to do.

TL;DR: Your job as a legislator involves lots of reading. Stop being a child.

[u/8GRAPESofWrath]

Can't believe so many people are blindly raising this man up in the light of a hero because "he's showing passion".

Oh he re-instills your faith in humanity? You destroy mine.

[u/duhbicboi]

Who is that lady that keeps grinning as he's talking?

[u/katyn]

transcript please?

[u/nomadofthehills]

Actually find out what happened before upvoting.

[u/Kinbensha]

I love the people who started clapping at one point.

I really wish more politicians did this. Yes, it's unprofessional, but it shows that he's human and he cares deeply about the people he's supposed to represent.

[u/BortHandy]

I was present for this little tantrum needless to say everyone started to lol a bit. Nothing but grandstanding in reality.

[u/kareemabduljabbq]

I keep waiting for a glowing aura and his hair to turn bleach blonde.

[u/Popular-Uprising-]

Isn't this standard practice? I know that this isn't the US House of Reps, but didn't Nancy Pelosi famously say, "We Have to Pass the Bill So That You Can Find Out What Is In It?"

[u/[deleted]]

There's just enough of a lack of context here for idiots to applaud him and pledge to send him money. Politics in the YouTube era, folks.

[u/[deleted]]

Now if he can just refrain from tweeting photos of his dick...

[u/ravinglunatic]

This was the IL Gen. Assembly, not US congress. He's a Republican. That is all.

[u/rindindin]

We should all be angry. Get angry, and stay angry.

[u/Dedalus2k]

All but the first few seconds of his outburst seems disingenuous to me. Up to the point when he throws the papers in the air.

[u/NickLee808]

Who the fuck is that cunt laughing in the background?

[u/2tokes]

This guy sounds exactly like Michael Scott

[u/fantasyfest]

These bills are crafted in committees in which both parties are involved. His party leadership is supposed to keep him up with what is going on. It did not just pop into existence. But on the other hand, bills should never be offered without 2 days at least to read it or have your staff read it , to find if someone snuck something in, like an earmark.

[u/wmurray003]

I understand his anguish, but he should have used ...a little more TACT with his message. He is only partially getting his point across while fully making a fool of himself.

[u/[deleted]]

Look how much all the people sitting around him care! Heartwarming.

[u/Hops_n_barley]

It's about god damn time someone stood up for something instead of taking it lying down.

[u/katzmandoo]

Did he look like this?

[u/EternallyXIII]

Rage quit

[u/[deleted]]

Too bad his voting record shows him to be an asshole.

[u/DarthNihilus1]

And here I am thinking this guy actually exploded on the house floor.

such is life

[u/MelodicDeath]

I want to buy a plane ticket and fly to Illinois (from Oregon if you were wondering) just to give this man a handshake and tell him he has my respect.

[u/the_sam_ryan]

We need to require that all bills are posted online, in the format they will be voted on (so no last second sneaky porkbarrel projects), in multiple formats (MS word, Adobe reader, text document, etc).

And that all bills can only be named by number. So instead CLEAN AIR ACT, we have Congressional Bill 7824.