Show of Hands

True.

It's done. Now, it's all about showmanship.

Let's watch them whip their dick out on the table to show us all how big theirs is.

Personally, I bet the biggest pecker award will go to Susan Collins.

Haha she could be at the top of the list :)

I have always liked Susan Collins, and felt Maine was blessed to have Collins and Snowe as their Senators.

I agree gonzo.

Reid- a corporate whore that can't even run a hot dog stand

Well, he is a multimillionaire. Not that he's good, or anything. Just sayin', he's sold a lot of hot dogs somewhere.

McConnell made 24 million last year on a 200,00$ salary. My mom never told me about becoming a senator to get rich when I was a kid.

Feinstein's husband stands to make about a billion dollars in commissions selling post office property. Isn't nepotism a wonderful thing?

I meant DrReid btw- who's still quoting from an estimate made early this year about the debt being cut almost in half. Which didn't happen. Obama still claims it too.

Sad, but probably more true than not.

Abo have you ever watched Prison Break?

This guy gets it. Most of their disagreements, especially in this issue, are pure theatre.

I've never seen prison break but I love the HBO series Oz. Is prison break good?

Yeah it's really intense. The basic plot is that this guy gets framed for the murder of the Vice Presidents brother and so his genius brother develops a plan to break him out before he gets executed.

I don't even watch many movies but I love a good series. I'm going to check that out

They'll find one.
It'll be last minute or the "11th hour".
Both sides will claim a "victory".
There will be another standoff in the future (within the next 12 months).

And we'll get to do this all over again.

Party supporters will get caught up in the blame game again.

Like puppets on a string, or a monkey dancing to a music box, never truly understanding, that they are drones.

Yep

Both parties care more about politics than people.

12 months? Try Jan 31st.

Let's just keep the uncertainty and circus side show going!

Que up the circus theme.

The only thing missing in Washington is a juggling clown...

Or a dancing bear.

It was a factor, but not THE reason for the downgrade. The main reason was a lack of any plan to repay.

Read the actual statement.

www.standardandpoors.com/ratings/articles/en/us/?assetID=1245316529563

The most rapid rate of growth began in 2000 to now. The Houses of congress and the office of the president has suffered an absence of leadership 13 years.

Yes, but what is critical is the slope indicating real GDP growth.

If GDP grows act or beyond spending, then the ROI for that spending is beneficial and a good move. But when you have to spend in a bunk economy and a contracting, the net effect in total debt is bad.

That's my point.the last 13 years it has been nominal.

I can't help it, I tried to just leave it.

. The**

Very true.

Who is driving the short bus? Do we have enough helmets for everybody?

What's especially "special" is when we pin the blame only on the other party and cheer our side on, and then complain about the shutdown in general. Now that really is "short bus" material.

How do you propose we stop tolerating it? This is part of our system of checks and balances.
Are we supposed to let the majority party change the rules when they become inconvenient?
Would that make us a better nation?

It isn't like this hasn't happened before.

I guess we have this first amendment thing that says we allow you to say almost whatever fool thing that'll come out of your head, despite whether or not it is true. Interesting UK's Guardian paired up w NYTimes to keep Snowden stuff coming out.

Parliament was about to censor them, so they paired w NYT to be umbrellaed under our first amendment.

This is to be expected when the nation whose representatives it is are so deeply divided. We should expect more of this in the future until the American people shift more fully to either the left or the right.

How about we just reject extremism all together, that is what the polls are showing is going to happen.

The American people keep voting the same people into office. Perhaps the "extreme" you're talking about exists amongst the people and their representatives are simply a reflection of them? They are elected after all.

@DrReid, if you succeed in carving off the extreme edges of the group, you just have new extreme edges. If you hope to hone society down to universal agreement, you will always have an enemy you want to get rid of. Better to learn from the extremes.

17 trillion is extreme. Getting rid of it is going to take extreme measures or we keep heading to the extreme of collapse.

No it is not. Trying to take "extreme measures" will only result in economic catastrophe and as a result such foolishness would only balloon our deficits. This is an issue where cool heads and pragmatism will prevail.

Yes that's what Obama promised several trillion ago

He promised to go line by line in reductions

In case you haven't been paying attention, yes, while the deficit has been high, that is what Obama inherited as a result of both a bad economy, and Bush's irresponsible wars and tax cuts. At least the deficit has been going down under Obama, no

Thanks to the clowns in the house, trying to sabotage the recovery. 2014 can't get here soon enough.

Obama promised to cut the deficit in half by end of first term. And the debt has gone up trillions under Obama.

Reid. Read what I said above about blaming just one party.

The deficit has not quite been cut in half, but it has most definitely gone down by a significant margin. Even if the deficit was cut in half, the debt would have still gone up "trillions" under Obama.

You are right that is it is wrong to just blame one party. But I am not blaming the Republican Party as a whole, just the small minority of their members who have gone insane. However, I will agree that democrats can share some of the blame.

I will not be bullied by the left into voting for a "moderate" republican ever again. They spend just like dems. You can take down our country but it won't be with my vote.

Bingo LateGreat!!! This is why I'm an independent now. :-)

We don't need extremism to get things done, America has a great diverse set of ideas, and values. You are just one out of many, and you can't get everything you want. We agree that the deficit should continue to shrink, but you are willing to ignore

That goal to do everything your way. (Which would only result in larger deficits and a much weaker economy, btw.) Thankfully, America has woken up the the folly of extremism. 2014 here we come.

Ok Reid, I agree we should do it obamas "way. " Cut the deficit in half based on 2012 levels and cap the debt ceiling at 2006 levels. All according to his own words. I agree 100% with that.

The recession was worse than we thought. Those are not viable goals anymore, but if we cut and tax responsibly, we can get there in good time.

Then where is obamas cut plan? He has never even gotten a budget passed.

We have made the cuts in the continuing resolutions as well as the savings from the ACA. The point is, the deficit is shrinking at the fastest rate since WW2, and you don't have to take my word for it.