(Late Chanteuse Amy “Wineglass.” Photo UPI)
Europe has begun to question the sanity of the debate in Washington, which ought to come as no particular surprise. A pal send me a note that quoted Vince Cable, a Conservative member of Prime Minister David Cameron’s cabinet (and Hillary Clinton’s opposite number) as saying a deal on the budget crisis was being held up by “a few right-wing nutters in the American Congress.”
Getting lectured from Europe, and by our special friend in particular strikes me as being an intervention moment. I am thinking the late Amy Winehouse’s anthem might be the theme song for Congress: “they tried to make me go to rehab, I said No, No, NO….”
Apparently Speaker John Boehner tried. He told lawmakers from his party to “get your ass in line.” They got to an a-ha moment in the August chamber last night when the votes were not there, and they dropped the debt ceiling bill and switched over to a bill naming post offices across the country.
Yep. Looney tunes. They are supposed to try again today, and bless their little pointy-heads, maybe they will do something. I have not looked at anything in detail this morning, but I do think that the Speaker and Majority Leader will get something President to sign. But there are the those who would prefer to melt it all down like a grilled cheese sandwich.
Did you know that July is National Hot Dog Month? See?
So we ignored the whole thing at Willow, except to comment that if the country is going to go to hell in a hand-basket, well, we may as well enjoy the ride. The restaurant was doing a brisk business. Manager Deb said they moved three hundred meals the night before, a function of the GroupOn coupon promotion with which they are experimenting.
“Does that include the neighborhood bar menu?” I asked.
Deb shook her head. “Nope. Three bar snacks count as a meal.”
“Interesting,” I said. “I guess I can eat more.”
Doc promptly ordered the Gruyere Cheese Puffs with black truffle sauce, the miniature fish and chips, and an order of the Pollyfarm deviled eggs.
Old Jim held down his pulpit position at the Amen Corner of the bar. Santa came back from the wilds of Fairfax for a re-engagement, and was adopted as an honorary local. The Doc was there for his monthly appointment, and my old Boss from the Phone Company and his lovely bride made a surprise guest appearance.
Our pert buddy Holly kept us topped up and I have to say Elisabeth-with-an-S never looked as lovely and poised as she did last night, wending her way through the crowd with her tray elevated above her head, bringing wine, beer and mixed cocktails to slake the thirst of the ravenous GroupOn bargain seekers.
Things got blurry enough that Adam the Polish Life Guard had actually locked the pool gate on me, ten minutes early, but I was able to track him down and get at least a plunge in the refreshing water before he peddled his bicycle off into the night.
I made a note to check my bank account the next morning and see if the VA check actually hit- naturally, I realize I am part of the problem, along with everyone else who expects their money from Uncle Sugar- and since I am managing the folks affairs, their Social Security deposits are a pretty big deal to me in meeting their monthly requirements.
The Right Wing Nutters, in the words of the British Foreign Secretary, want Mr. Obama to be a one-term president and many appear to be willing to put that ahead of the welfare of the nation.
There are some people throwing the “treason” word around, though I don’t know about that. I remember the things they said about Bush II, which included incitement to violence. The default value of the rhetoric from both extremes is so over the top that it is surreal. This does not have to be a constitutional crisis, any more than any rational government would run a trillion dollar deficit in a single year.
I had a friend who honestly was concerned that the Army would not intervene if the President dismissed the Congress and suspended habeas corpus like Mr. Lincoln did. I am serious. That is the level of discourse about this. As an American, I think we all ought to be sent to our rooms, or to rehab with Amy.
Oh, I forgot. It is too late for Amy to do anything.
The divide about where the nation should go is so deep and profound that I have not seen its like before. Certainly in the absence of a peer enemy we have never been in such disarray, and our biggest foe is us and our outsized appetites for everything.
We need to do something that shows we are actually going to do something to start the long road back to solvency. If the President gets credit for it, fine. He is a smart guy, but it is painfully evident that his background did not prepare him to run something as complex as the executive branch. “Dropping the ball” is a charitable way to put it.
Every President has committed foes- Mr. Obama’s are just a little nuttier than the ones most Commanders in Chief have to deal with, but you can’t say he did not bring some of it on himself. Withdrawing into his small circle of trusted advisors was not the way to go. Like the debt ceiling, he dithered for weeks over the bin Laden mission on advice of his counsel, and in the end, Panetta did it himself.
Oh well. God bless the United States of America. I doubt anyone else will.
Have a great weekend, and remember, it is National Hot dog Month. I am going to stay away from rehab. No, No, NO.
(Vic at Willow and skeptical. Photo Santa.)
Copyright 2011 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com