Dear America,
English: Photograph of Yogi Berra taken by Googie Man (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It's New Year's Day and we are off to the in-laws in a couple of hours. I'm sure your itinerary for the day is similar. Some things never change. Apropos of that observation, things in Washington never seem to change either. We are on the edge of the same precipice today that we were on yesterday, and some Washington demagogues are continuing to use the same excuses for the dilatory tactics and obstruction that have become the modus operandi of our government, congress in particular. McCain complained that The President inflamed the passions of the ultra-conservatives who have been the sticking point in all the negotiations thus far over the tax cuts and sequestration by the things he said when speaking to congress. Of course, when The President doesn't go down the Pennsylvania Avenue to cajole congress, McCain and others criticize him for not getting involved. Mitch McConnell sticks a poison pill--the chained CPI-- onto the proposal for renewing the Bush tax cuts, and then complains that he wants to negotiate, but he needs a "dance partner," this insinuating that Harry Reid isn't negotiating in good faith when it's McConnell himself who refuses to dance. Yesterday ended with McConnell saying that they are "very...very close" to negotiating a deal, but we have heard that before, and regardless of what eventuates now, in six weeks or so we start again with the debt ceiling negotiations: 2012 and 2011 all over again...or in the immortal words of a real sage, Yogi Berra, it's déjà vu all over again. Dinner with the in-laws for everyone several times a year.
But let's look on the bright side. If the Democrats free us from the filibuster in a couple of days, this will all be a thing of the past. The question is, do they have the guts. One way or the other, have a happy new year, and good luck. We all need it.
Your friend,
Mike
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