Cracks in the System - Wise and Otherwise

House Speaker John Boehner said last week that "there's no daylight between the Tea Party and me," while some Democratic stalwarts suggested that he should put that sentiment "where the sun don't shine" permanently. 

Such volleys marked the beginning of what turned out to be a nail-biting battle to break the budget impasse that threatened to shut down the federal government.  Rather than a victory, however, the 11th hour compromise felt more like our collective kidneys declaring war on our body politic.

In a show of what is fast becoming a signature expression of his personality type, President Obama coached the Congressional leadership from the sidelines until the bitter end.  He then showed up at the Lincoln Memorial to announce that to save money and appease the Republicans, he had handed all of our national monuments over to NATO. 

President Obama assured the American people that he had not acted unduly.  A lot of Lincoln-like soul-searching had prompted his unprecedented action to bind the nation's gaping deficit wounds.  And to clinch the deal, the GOP threw in a White House membership to Sam's Club.

If NATO can work in Libya, why not the national mall?  NATO after all is our trusted ally, able to hit any physical, and hopefully fiscal, target it chooses - but it remains to be seen in these crazy times if even NATO can restore balance to Washington's self-imposed no-fly budget.