Chicken

Rick Perry has been my governor for 11 years, and still no politician has disgusted me like the Republicans playing chicken with the debt ceiling.  The President offered up the holiest of Democratic Holy Grails to find a significant practical solution, and Cantor stormed off the playground.  Boehner and McConnell turned into actual chickens, renouncing their ability and their responsibility to manage the government's debt.  I guess that's what they call leadership.  Even Tea Party idol Reagan raised taxes when it was necessary, and he didn't get entitlement cuts out of it.

There were 2 times I was proud of President W.  The first was his diplomatic and subtle support to oust the Taliban in 2001 - for all the crap that followed, that was a quick strike that no one thought was possible.  The second was when he tried to broker a serious solution to immigration that would increase enforcement while recognizing our responsibility for the millions of illegal immigrants we've attracted and employed.  It didn't go anywhere, and probably enhanced his lame-duck status, but it was an attempt to solve a problem that was bigger than a sound bite.  It's the same way I feel about Obama's proposal to cut $4 trillion with a majority from spending cuts - only Nixon can open relations with China, and only a healthcare expander can touch entitlements.

But I'm sure everyone's now looking forward to enduring this fiasco again in 6-24 months when both sides are even less inclined to compromise.  I've never liked Pelosi or Reid, but they look like classic statesmen (statespeople?) next to these Chicken Littles.