President Barak Obama with Naval Academy Midshipmen during the first half of the Army-Navy football game, 10 December 2011. Photo Washington Post.
Never let it be said that The Daily allows its mistakes to fester. Oh, heck, scratch that. Of course we do.
Nonetheless, the Staff here at Socotra House Publishing, LLC, took time out from monitoring all aspects of the Continuing Crisis to compile a list of errata from the month that concludes a memorable year in Your Nation’s Capital.
It is three times in this annual cycle that the Federal Government has teetered on the brink of a shut down. Both national parties appear unified in the desire to extend the Payroll Tax Holiday to go along with the other festive manifestations of the season, but are deeply divided on how to do it.
Both sides- there appears to be no representation for most citizens who express contempt for their Congress- say they are determined to avoid a pre-Christmas shutdown, raising the possibility that Congress may just pass a short-term bill to keep the government open and kick the whole payroll tax and spending mess into next year.
There is a seasonal surprise for you! By the time the State of the Union Address rolls around this coming January, it will be a thousand days since the Congress of the United States managed to pass a budget, it’s purported purpose since the founding of the Republic.
It has been a curious year. Accordingly, as the days grow short, it is time to turn to the in-basket and correct those occasional minor errors that creep into any complex enterprise. Mistakes were made, as the saying goes in Washington, with passive voice and deep regret.
In the interest of fairness and accuracy:
President Obama apparently spent the first half of the Army-Navy Game sitting with the Midshipmen. Our Correspondent was suffering from hypoxia in the upper reaches of FedEx Field and did not notice the Jumbotron coverage of his presence, as he did in the second half, when the President joined the Cadets of West Point to watch a gallant but failed effort by the Black Knights to wrest victory from an implacable Navy presence.
The Daily regrets conveying the impression that the Commander in Chief favored the Cadets.
Secondly, Jon-no-H did not celebrate his 50th birthday the other evening at the famous Willow Restaurant. It was his 52nd.
The Daily regrets the error.
Thirdly, In the article “Durban Poison” we reported that Canada had announced it was pulling out of the Kyoto Climate Protocol. The UN provided a subsequent update and said that our sovereign neighbor to the North could not. Apparently the World Government we have heard about has come to pass, or the Climate Treaties are like the Irish Republican Army- :once in, Never Out.”
The Daily regrets the error.
Finally, on this day, marking the departure of the last 40,000 US combat troops from Iraq, we note that apparently there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
The Daily regrets the whole thing.
US Army personnel prepare to “Case the Colors” in Iraq, as the last 40,000 troops depart before New Years Eve, 2011.
Copyright 2011 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com