Illinois Republican Mike Bost, Newly Elected To Congress, Could Make C-SPAN Entertaining

Before Mike Bost, a Republican member of the Illinois state House of Representatives, won election to the U.S. House of Representatives, he gained fame for a viral rant about pension reforms.

This minute-and-a-half screed given Tuesday, May 29th, 2012 on the floor of the State House of Representatives in Springfield, Illinois reveals much about Bost -- his values, his hopes and fears for America -- but nothing more so than his impressive arsenal of hand gestures.

Let’s break them down:

Bost starts with some run-of-the-mill pointing and jabbing, but quickly transitions to throwing a stack of papers in the air and punching them as they fall, a move unprecedented save by popular vlogger Jenna Marbles, who once covered her face in chili and punched a box of ziti ... just because.

The former U.S. Marine and trucking company executive then a throws a seemingly different stack of papers, which might actually belong to his neighbor, though the neighbor seems unfazed. For a second Bost remembers that he has a microphone, but quickly foregoes speaking into it in order to gesture with both fists -- making Howard Dean’s one-fist scream look like an underachiever.

As Bost criticizes Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan, a Democrat, for having “unconstitutional” levels of power, he makes as if to grab his hair (but does not actually make contact with his hair) before shouting, “Let my people go!” and gesturing -- where else? -- to the heavens.

“Folks, we live in a democracy ... but not here ... but not here,” Bost says with defeated shrugs. The video ends with a return to the microphone, which Bost grasps only to dramatically thrust it away before slumping in his chair ... joining his colleagues, who have been slumped in their chairs for the entire outburst.

Should Bost bring his expressive gestures to Congress, it's unlikely the entertainment-loving Internet will complain. He just might make C-SPAN watchers of us all.