We do not “pay” those “motherfuckers” to get a deal done. If we did do that, we wouldn’t hamstring Congress by making one house Republican and the other Democrat. In fact, to go by Americans’ voting behavior, you will come to understand that we “pay” Congress to do nothing. We actually want them to do as little as possible and we ensure that they don’t by keeping things evenly balanced and gridlocked.
Now if you believe these huge cuts to the defense budget will be implemented for a second, then I’ve got a bridge to sell you. Hell, I’ve got a dozen of the damn things and I’ll sell ‘em to you cheap! This supercommittee exercise means nothing, other than political posturing. It gives folks a talking point, and we’ll see what sells in the next election. Was it the Republicans fault or the Dems? Do we want to fork over our pensions to the rich, or do we want to destroy health care and pensions for our grandparents? Or both?
In government, it seems, the best course of action is generally inaction. It used to be that a Congress critter could bring home the bacon with earmarks. That has sort of been diminished, but that’s about all someone can do to make friends with their district these days—that and keeping an eye on those insidious others who want to destroy the country.
The supercommittee was a huge success for the country, although it was a disaster for those with any particular point of view. And yet, if you have a point of view, think of the alternative. How would you like it if your side had caved so there could be a deal? You’d be screaming bloody murder at your guy, and you’d vote him out next time. So really, the supercommittee was a big success for you, too, since the other side didn’t force us to knuckle under.