Good news?

The debate to raise the federal government's debt ceiling has exposed, or shone a spotlight on what was already obvious, namely, the incompetence and ideological intransigence of Democrats, Republicans and the President. No one looks good, and the bad of it is that we the people are the ones suffering; these jerks get to keep their jobs – for now, at least. One idea that died quicker than ethics do in Washington was a grand bargain.


After all, who really wants a deal struck by one of the most inept bargainers-in-chief ever to live in the White House and a Republican leadership trapped by the ideological intransigence of right-wing extremists?

Obama looks awful. He would have a difficult time convincing a baseball player to spit. The Republican dog is wagged by the right-wing tail.

We don’t need a grand bargain — not now, or six months from now, or ever. What we need are responsible politicians who understand a little bit about economics and who are willing to work in the public interest day after day, year after year. Even a short-term debt-ceiling reprieve that kicks the can down the road would be preferable to an ill-advised grand bargain that locks in harmful spending cuts for a decade.

Obama has caved in to the right wing. The Republican party has caved in to the right wing. So we have the nation's politics dominated by a hundred right wing nuts who actually believe that it is better to have the nation lose its credit rating than to compromise.

any spectacle that sees McConnell and Reid emerge as the heroes is a sorry one, indeed. 

Indeed. Those two have to be some of the most mediocre politicians in modern US history. Where is Roman Hukstra when we need him?

it’s important to have no illusions going into an election year. Obama, as noted, has confirmed his reputation for ineptitude. Voters may choose to return him to office, but they will have to adjust their expectations downward.

What a disappointment, too. So much promise, so much hope, and so little done.

House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, meanwhile, can continue their internecine warfare, and congressional Republicans can bicker their way out of majority control of the House.

That used to seem exciting, but what would be the alternative? Democrats in control? They're as bad.

It would be sad if the Republicans, who have shown themselves willing to sacrifice the welfare of the American people in order to sabotage the Obama presidency, succeeded in their plan.

They will do everything to sabotage Obama, including screwing the country, arrogant in their belief they will get into power and fix things.

But Obama, who suffers from the hubris of thinking always he’s the smartest guy in the room, walked right into their trap in accepting the debt-ceiling debate on their terms instead of exercising leadership and keeping the focus on unemployment.

His idea of leadership is to wait, wait some more, and see what happens.

It would be a long shot for Bloomberg or anyone else to step up as a third-party candidate and a much longer shot for such a candidate to capture the White House. It’s never happened since our two-party system became the norm, but then the U.S. has never defaulted before, either. 

Bloomberg? I just don't see him appealing to enough voters. I think he's arrogant, self-centered, aloof, and convinced he is about as smart and effective a leader as is possible. But, hey, who knows?

It depends in the end on how severe the political backlash to this debacle will be. At present, regardless of the actual outcome of this nauseating debate, it looks like the public frustration and disgust with Washington that has been simmering for some years is ready to boil over.

It would be nice if there was some public anger, but it ain't gonna happen.