I just finished watching an episode of “The West Wing” from 2003 called “Shutdown”. Guess what it was about? A Republican Speaker of the House holding the country hostage for a 3% budget cut when they’d previously agreed to a 1% cut. Sound familiar? Yep, just like the President said yesterday, It’s Deja Vu all Over Again. Some things just never change.

The notion that we can cut spending at a time when the economy is shaky at best is stupid. Most of Europe is a perfect example of what happens when you put penury on a higher plane than common sense. They continue to be mired in recession, with budget cuts chasing revenue declines all the way to the abyss.

And why do we engage in this kind of outrageous behavior? Because we don’t have seriously big problems to solve, and therefore feel entitled to engage in fear-driven behaviors. There’s no reason to rise above the need for personal job security on the part of Republicans, because the precedent was set back in ’95. It’s a little like losing your virginity – shutting down the government. Once you’ve done it, it’s easy to do it again and again.

So with two days left before the cliff, once again I express disdain for and disappointment in the individuals elected to serve the people of this country. Shame on all of you – or as Toby said in that episode above, “It’s a Pox on Both our Houses”. It surely is.

On the 10th Day of Christmas,
My True Love Gave to Me
Ten Lords a Leaping…

Ten Lords a Leaping

Well, on this Saturday night, despite exhorting statements from the President, Minority and Majority Leaders, no updates means no progress. But hey, it’s not December 31st at midnight – plenty of time to wait for the lords of the dance!

Bah Humbug!