Never give a debt ceiling saga an even break.

There aren’t too many situations arising in the world today that don’t call to mind a Star Trek episode. CIA drones? “A Taste of Armageddon.” Big PHARMA? “Operation: Annihilate!” Xenophobia? “Balance of Terror,” “The Devil in the Dark,” and, oh heck, pretty much any original series episode with Spock in it (which would be all of them, you green-blooded hobgoblin!).

But the entertainment reference that our most recent “crisis” over the debt ceiling conjures up is a scene from Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles.” (No, not that one! Although if you’ve ever watched C-SPAN for too long, I can see why you would think that.) It’s the scene in which Bart, after every citizen in town has drawn guns on him, pulls out his revolver, presses it to his own temple, and says “Drop it, or I swear I'll blow this n*****'s head ALL OVER THIS TOWN!” The punch line is that the townspeople fall for it and drop their guns.

Although it’s not a punch line in the real-world. The GOP is pulling out their majority, pointing it at their own country, and saying “Drop it, or we swear we’ll blow this nation ALL OVER... well, THIS NATION!” And like the townsfolk in Brooks’ fictional Rock Ridge, many of the Dems are dropping things: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the return of the saner tax policies that were in place when this country was running surplus - just to name a few. But unlike Rock Ridge, this is not a movie. Although it is fiction.

The fiction of it is that this problem needs to be solved this very minute! Numerous times in our history, the debt ceiling has been raised in a simple up-or-down vote, not tied to long-term issues like the budget deficit. This is the first time, though, that it has been used as a hostage. I realize that in our current political climate, words like “thug” get thrown around so much as to be meaningless, but what else would you call someone who threatens to harm those you hold dear if they don’t get their way? If we have to return to the good old days of poor houses, robber barons, and Triangle Shirtwaist fires, at least we won't have that pesky debt ceiling hanging over our heads. Unfortunately, Mr. Boehner is so out of touch with those American People he likes to reference, he either does not realize or does not care that if he gets his way, a few more of them will have nothing over their heads.
What I am desperately hoping for is intervention from an entity more powerful than Congress! Mightier than the White House! A more weighty and influential constituency than the American People themselves!

Wall Street.

Goodbye, Grant Park. I'm Done.

I have run the gamut of emotions today, from disgusted to really, really disgusted. But sadly, I have ended up at resigned. Over the past several days, I have been calling, writing, railing against the insanity going on in Washington DC, regarding the budget deficit, and the false allegation that cutting Social Security and Medicare will do anything to defray it. I have written and called my Senators and my Representative. I have written and called Senators and Representatives from other states. I have written and called my Senators and my Representative again. And I have written the White House repeatedly. I keep hoping it would matter.

As of this evening, I have exhausted any capacity to care.

I’ve done a lot of writing on this issue to The Powers in DC, but here is today’s output, which I think says whatever needs to be said.

To the White House, this morning:
Do not cut Social Security, and do not undercut it by using the Chained CPI. I figure you have stopped listening by now, but I cannot stop talking. If I do, I feel too much sadness and despair. You may think that you have the Democratic vote for 2012, and all you need is to persuade some in the middle or the right. But take a lesson from what you called the "shellacking" of 2010: a lot of people will be staying home. That will also affect the "down ballot" votes. We feel betrayed, and it seems pointless to vote for anyone because of the lies. Sen. Sanders, Rep. Peter Defazio, and other progressives are the exception, but you are hurting them, too, because people will throw up their hands and stay home. And your telling us not to give up will not carry any weight now. You have given up, and given us over. Why should we not throw in the towel?

To Senator Bernie Sanders, mid-day:
Thank you for standing up for the Big 3! What more can I say? Yours is the one voice that keeps me sane. Yours is the one voice that gives me hope. I cannot believe how tone-deaf others are in WDC. I cannot believe how the main stream media continues to ignore the fact the that SS is not part of the deficit! (And yes, I write to them about this.) They are misinforming the public, and are not serving their own mandate to act "in the public interest." Keep fighting for us. I do not live in Vermont, but I feel like you are truly representing me.

And finally to the White House again, this evening:
Today, I asked to be removed from your email list. I am tired of being lied to, and I don't need it in my email inbox as well as the radio/tv/newspaper. I am tired of getting updates that tell me how much the Administration has done for me, despite the damage being done to the middle class. I was a supporter, but no more. If the contract of Social Security means nothing to you, then Grant Park no longer means anything to me.

And then I clicked “Unsubscribe” on the email I got today from the White House. If 80% of the public is telling the President to stand his ground on Social Security, etc., and he can’t do it, then it must be intentional. He must be one of Them.

Goodbye, Grant Park. Goodbye.