We are between fronts here in Washington. The rain came down in sheets this morning, complete with thunder and lightning in the growing light.
I take note because I am on foot this morning, due to an embarrassment of autos, which may be a sign of the times. The Bluesmobile is back in the fold for the winter, and my son is driving a late-model SUV with a proud Spartan “S” on the back window.
The minor details for me include the fact that in order to snag the SUV back from detailing at the Dealer in Springfield, my son picked me up at the office. So the fine German machine is there, and the Bluesmobile is resting outside Big Pink.
I don’t mind walking to work- it makes me feel virtuous through lowering my carbon footprint and gets some of the exercise requirement out of the way- but would prefer not to get soaked on the way.
With the season changing, it is time to put the Hubrismobile down for the winter and get the big husky Ford ready for seasonal action. The folks on the Hill are patting themselves on the back for coming to grips with the latest budget crisis, which now appears to be institutional.
I read in the Times this morning that the committees are so bogged down with temporary stop-gap measures that the distinguished Members don’t have time to think about the larger strategy. Majority Leader Reid does not want to bring the President’s Jobs Bill to the floor, as his co-equal Executive desires in order to avoid a messy fight with some of his fractious followers who want nothing to do with a big tax increase as they go toward Big Casino at the polls in 2012.
So, I suppose we will have to put up with this irritating chicken game for the next year until we get one of those purported choices, one from column “A” or one from column “B.”
From what the polls suggest, we are all fed up with it, left, right and center. There are huge decisions to be made about what is to be done, and we have a President who makes a great speech but does not appear to now how to govern confronting a vocal House that won’t go along with where he wants to go.
Oh well. They say the kids in Europe and the Middle East have about given up on voting, so perhaps we are entering a new post-Democracy season. North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue is being assailed for her comment at a local Rotary Club in which she suggested that Congressional elections should be suspended for a couple years until we get everything sorted out.
It has a certain attraction, you know? Declare a state of emergency and rule by decree. That would get things done. Could we seriously be so far down the road that the Governor of one of the first states to join the Union is talking about suspending the Constitution as a matter of convenience?
It is enough to give you the willies. I am going to not think about the loons who are running this circus for the rest of the day. I am going to concentrate on the Post Season for Major League Baseball, which runs on fairly regular rules with fairly regular and enforceable rhythms.
Jim Leland’s Tigers are playing their last game of the regular season today, and beat the hapless Indians last night, 9-6.
The Tigers are 29-9 since Aug. 19th, literally on fire. They will send Rick Porcello (14-9) to the mound against the Indian’s newbie Zach McAllister (0-1).
If they win, they may get home field advantage against the hated Yankees in the play-offs. My pal Muhammad calls it this way, with the change in the weather:
“Detroit’s Fister threw 8 shut out innings last time he was on the mound…I see that Tampa could take the Wild Card spot away from the sagging BoSox…Here is my call for the American League Divisional Series: If our first series goes 5: Verlander, Fister, rain, Verlander, Fister, rain Verlander… I hope the Red Sox and Tampa tie, forcing the playoff tomorrow in Tampa…Anything to help the Tigers…I guess we can still finish ahead of Texas, but it is a long shot.
Schwerzer looking to be ready to be the #3 starter in round #1… Detroit has 51 saves this season, tying a franchise record set by the 1984 team that won the World Series.”
I rubbed my hands with glee as I looked at the screen. I will have to do some homework and figure out who all these players are. It is the Post Season, after all. I wonder if they will still have the ALDS under martial law? I mean, some things are sacred, right?
Copyright 2011 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com