Perhaps it's better for us if NONE of the Tea Partiers actually get sworn in. (Publicus Proventus.)

One thing's for sure: it's certainly not business as usual, so in part the Tea Partiers are making good on their pledge:

Two House Republicans missed the official congressional swearing in ceremony because they were hobnobbing at a fundraiser....Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and freshman Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., violated the Constitution by missing the ceremony, though apparently they did take the oath while watching the ceremony on TV from the shindig for Fitzpatrick at the Capitol Visitors Center. House Republicans had to put their health care repeal vote on hold when they found out that Sessions—who had been casting votes all day as a member of the House Rules Committee—wasn't a bona fide congressman yet. Committee Chair David Dreier, R-Calif., was forced to suspend hearings, and Sessions' blunder may cost the committee all their health care repeal work so far. House Speaker John Boehner is trying to persuade Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to approve the committee's work retroactively.

The best part about that? It's hard to decide.

First, there's the fact that the "shindig" that the people were at was a party to celebrate Fitzpatrick's swearing in.

Second, while the GOP/Tea Partiers want you to believe they take the Constitution seriously, Fitzpatrick and Sessions simply faced the TV and raised their hands to be sworn in -- and GOP Speaker John Boehner is trying to convince the rest of the House that it's no big deal that votes on health care repeal were cast by guys who weren't yet Congressmen.

Third, and my choice for the actual best part? The fact that Sessions and Fitzpatrick immediately lied about how this happened. Fitzpatrick lied and said, when asked, that being in front of supporters "wasn't planned. It just worked out that way."

But it was planned: The Bucks County Courier Times has an article noting that Fitzpatrick set it up exactly that way: Fitzpatrick bussed in 500 supporters to the Capitol Visitor's Center and was there with them at the time the swearing-in began, and posted photos bragging about how he'd been sworn in in front of the supporters.