Politics vs. Sanity

Smoky Lake Signal Article 182
(August 3, 2011)

On Monday the United States House of Representatives voted 269 to 161 in favor of a bill that would avoid a US debt default and thereby, allow the US Treasury to borrow money beyond the federally set ceiling. The bill is conditional; no federal tax increases to counter the growing debt problem and the slashing of 2.5 trillion dollars in federal spending over ten years - I expect the United States Senate will vote in favor of this measure with a lot of bravado (please note, my copy deadline is prior to the actual vote).  So who won this exercise of political brinkmanship?  I don't think there is any doubt as to who undertook the winning strategy; the Republican Party is the clear winner (and that includes the influential, inflexible and dangerous Tea Party group of thinkers).  As a result, the weakened Democratic President and the rest of the Democratic Party rank and file are wondering about their future role in a right leaning political mindset and trying to determine what measures they can offer to the American people to counter the growing demise of the United States as the world's most influential economic power.  For Mr. Obama, he and his Democratic Party are going to have to do some amazing things prior to the 2012 congressional / presidential elections.