Happy New Fiscal Year

Yes, it is a relatively happy new fiscal year, as Congress pulled its head out of its collective backside and avoided stepping over the fiscal cliff.

For the time being, anyhow.

Instead of presenting a budget (as the Constitution requires them to do), our elected reprehensives have once again resorted to the dodge of a "continuing resolution" to keep the government lurching from one manufactured crisis to the next. What they've done is to ensure that the next manufactured crisis will come right at the beginning of the holiday season - an action that will surely endear them only to the most rabidly hysterical partisans of the anti-government fringe.

You may recall that just over a week ago Pope Francis reminded them (without evident effect on their behavior),

"Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk. Legislative activity is always based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you."

To reiterate the Pope's words,  Legislative activity is always based on care for the people.

Not the oil people. Not the big pharma people. Not the big business people.

All the people.

Not just the 1%.

We deserve better than than a Congress that bickers and argues and points fingers. We deserve better than a Congress that resorts to blackmail and useless gotcha votes intended only to show one side or the other in a bad light. And before you blame the President for the whole mess because he threatens to veto some legislation sent to him for signature, consider that he's announced what he won't approve ... if Congress goes ahead and sends it to him anyway, the result is likely to be pretty obvious, isn't it?

My conservative friends will strongly disagree, of course, and that's fine ... as long as they have better ideas and are willing to press their chosen representatives to negotiate in good faith rather than legislate by blackmail.

Happy New Fiscal Year. Let's see if we're still celebrating come December 11th ... which will be the next test of whether statesmanship and reason win out over partisan ass clownery.

Don't hold your breath.

Come back tomorrow for the latest collection of Great Moments in Editing. More thoughts then.

Bilbo