Shutdown Stymied

Well, our long pseudo national nightmare of a government shutdown is nearly over, just as I predicted, around the elusive date of October 17. Furloughed workers will get their two week vacation paid, just as they desired. The barricades will at long last be removed by the memorials, and Vince Gray will go back to being despised as a corrupt mayor. But what have we gained?

The big joke going around now is that "Just heard the Washington Redskins are relenting & changing their name -- dropping "Washington" b/c it just got too embarrassing." So there's that. Both parties should be ashamed, really. Though some are attempting to absolve "real" Washington of our sins, because it's not our fault that our elected leaders do these things. Yeah, right. Maybe we have taxation without representation, but we work for these individuals. VA and MD voters helped put them into office. We've donated to their campaigns and we've supported their pork to help pad our bank accounts.

And we're going to suffer when the so-called fiscal cliff grows so steep that we can't throw more inflated dollar bills at it. We're all to blame, ultimately, because we created this. And with the possible exception of Paul Ryan, I'm not sure we have any adults who would share that responsibility with us.

1994

That fateful, turning point election of 1994 is in the news again, as pundits wonder if the Republicans will repeat the successes of that year.   Others are pointing out that the experts were wrong that year, forecasting far fewer seats than the Republicans ultimately gained.  Still others are concerned that 2011-12 could be as divided as 1995-96, with a government lock-out and an ultimate Clinton reelction.

But Obama is no Bill Clinton.  He's no Ronald Reagan, either.  He has squandered a great deal of goodwill in two short years, alongside his arrogant partner, Nancy Pelosi, and blandly pointless Harry Reid, who may suffer the same fate as Tom Foley did sixteen years ago.

I was eighteen in 1994, and it was my first election. I voted absentee. In an era before the Internet, I don't know how other than Newsweek and the Chicago Tribune I gained my knowledge of the world.  But I remember becoming engaged in the process that year, and it ultimately switched my major from Business to Political Science. I was a charter member of the newly formed CR club, and it was great to meet like-minded women.  Not all young college students are liberals.  In fact, I know now that many are far more conservatively active than I even was.

I remember driving to see Newt Gingrich in Indianapolis Senior Year, and I remember having about 50+ at my first CR meeting as president.  It was an exciting time that truly formed who I am politically.

So hopefully there will be cheery results yet again in 2010, and indeed it will be a good night.  A very good night.  2008 was a temporary aberration, and 2006 showed the hubris of arrogant Republicans. Hopefully they have learned their lessons in humility and can teach a thing or two to the displaced  Dems. And in particular, Obama.

Republicans Are Morons

UGH.

From tragic to idiotic. The Fix column pretty much says it all: dishonest with constituents and staff, an ongoing affair, possible misuse of state funds, "the cover-up is worse than the crime," etc. etc. Republicans can't get it together. Ensign is having an affair. Governor Sanford is screwing around and lying about it, and it gets worse. And his wife and father-in-law knew? I mean, come on. What the hell are you thinking???

Well, at least Ensign can breathe the sigh of relief, that he isn't the latest Republican who is having an affair.

Maybe this should be a new feature. What the hell??