Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has been all over TV blasting the GOP, not for allowing that rotten fiscal cliff deal to pass, but for failing to hold a vote in the House on the pork laden hurricane Sandy relief package passed by Senate. (That $60 billion bill is about equal to the amount of new revenue the fiscal cliff package brings in per year.) New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been just as bad. They’re making complete fools of themselves seeing that there will be a vote in the next few days anyway.

Rest assured, a relief bill will pass soon — maybe tomorrow, now that the screeching among tri-state congressmen has earned them an audience with Boehner this afternoon. King knows that, as does Chris Christie, who’s called a presser for later today. What’s going to change on the ground in New York and New Jersey between now and the next few days, when the bill is safely on Obama’s desk for signing? Not a thing, but it’s a fine opportunity for grandstanding by blue-state Republicans eager to seize an opportunity to distance themselves from the party’s brand while it’s at low tide. In fairness to them, the politics of the bill being pulled last night are awfully tawdry and self-destructive. But even so, I’m curious: How much unrelated spending would this bill need to be larded up with before fiscal warrior Chris Christie decided it needed a few more days of deliberation and amendment? King goes so far here as to urge New Yorkers not to donate to the NRCC because of the delay. Either he’s deathly afraid of losing his seat to an anti-GOP backlash or he’s hysterical. Actually, check that: Whatever his other motives, he’s hysterical. (Read More)

Even if a bill had been voted on in the House, it wouldn’t have been signed by President Obama anyway because he’s back in Hawaii and he took off before signing the fiscal cliff bill.

King and Christie both need to chill and take a cue from Ed Cox, Chairman of the NY GOP who issued the following statement:

Since the Senate sent its pork-laden version of the Sandy Relief bill to the House just a few days before the end of the legislative session, we have been working around the clock, rather than playing partisan politics in the press, with New York’s Republican House members, Leader Skelos and Speaker Boehner’s staff to ensure that those effected by Superstorm Sandy continue to receive the help they need.

The work has been complicated by the unprecedented situation created by the last-minute fiscal cliff bill received from the Senate.

We are disappointed that a bill has yet to be passed, but this is a time to work together to get the job done.  New York Republicans are working to provide continual disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy as quickly as possible.

Gee, you would think King and Christie would show as much outrage over the failures of FEMA and all of the red tape holding up people from receiving help that’s already available. But then, they might offend our Dear Leader and we wouldn’t want that, now.

Update: The tantrum worked. There will be a vote in the House very soon, and King will support Boehner in his quest to retain his speakership.