The media is all abuzz about the GOP's statement that, like health care reform, they prefer to block legislation than work with Democrats. Some wonder why. Why would they risk their very jobs defending the masterminds behind the 2008 collapse of the American economy? Why would they fight to maintain the status quo that put trillions of dollars from hard-working Americans into the gold-plated safes of the super wealthy?

The photo above tells the tale. The Republicans are massively wealthy themselves. Here is the net worth of each of the top 15 richest Republican Senators: 

James Risch (R-Idaho) $19,290,000.00 
Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) $17,090,000.00 
John McCain (R-Ariz.) $13,780,000.00 
Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) $12,130,000.00 
Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) $11,850,000.00
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) $6,370,000.00 
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) $6,150,000.00 
Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) $4,430,000.00 
John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) $3,250,000.00 
Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) $3,110,000.00 
Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) $3,040,000.00 
James Inhofe (R-Okla.) $3,000,000.00 
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) $2,760,000.00 
John Ensign (R-Nev.) $2,210,000.00 
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) $2,190,000.00 

And who do wealthy old white men hang out with? Other wealthy old white men. None of them would be caught dead being friends with a Tea Party protester. Instead, they hang with the Wall Street fat cats they are risking their next elections to protect.

FoxBusiness.com reported the following: "About 25 Wall Street executives, many of them hedge fund managers, sat down for a private meeting Thursday afternoon with two of the most powerful Republican lawmakers in Congress: Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and John Cornyn, the senior senator from Texas who runs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, one of the primary fundraising arms of the Republican Party."

No, there's no question as to why they are being obstructionist again. They and their buddies stand to lose billions from regulations that would disallow them from screwing you and me any further. Follow the money.