You say 'Apocalypse' like it's a bad thing...

What can I say about the failure of this Congress to raise the debt ceiling that hasn't already been said? I have been reading about this obsessively for months now. Had I started reading 'War and Peace' at about the same time, with the same intensity, I'd be half-way through that fucker by now. No, I can't add anything to the debate, but that won't stop me.

I guess my main point is this, This is the Republican's Fault. It is their show. They are completely and totally to blame for this. I can not stress this enough. And anyone that tries to play this as 'both sides' is either a delusional Blue Dog, a Lying Republican, or a reporter too afraid of being labeled 'Liberal' that he's forced to treat both sides 'equally'.

I say this because I've read so much of this shit that even I'm starting to waver. Are the Dems being unreasonable? They have tried to draw lines in the sand, but this issue is so important, is it worth drawing any lines, particularly when facing opponents that seem insatiable and hell-bent on getting their way? Is it worth default, and all the potential horrors that follow, merely to maintain some sense of dignity? Because, let's face it, at this point that's pretty much what Dems are fighting for... No, that's unfair, but only slightly.

But then I remember, this is ALL the REPUBLICANS' FUCKING FAULT.

And why is that? Because, this is a routine vote. Let me restate that... Never in the history of the existence of the debt ceiling has there ever been anything but the most token of debates over it WhatSoFUCKINGEver. I know, I know, Obama voted against it when he was a Senator. Allow me to retort, Fuck you. Just because one man made a symbolic vote a few years ago does not mean you get to hold the entire Republic Hostage. Hell, Ron Paul votes against this thing every fucking time. But that doesn't make him right, it just makes him consistent... and potentially crazy. But, allow me to restate my original point, THIS IS ALL THE REPUBLICANS' FUCKING FAULT.

If a clean vote on the debt ceiling were brought to the floor tomorrow nearly every House Democrat, and I'd wager nearly every Senator would vote for the thing. All of this wrangling and posturing is solely because too many over-zealous and over-caffinated (Tea is high in caffeine) House Republicans have decided that this is the perfect opportunity to hold the entire government and the US economy hostage to get some 'concessions' and, as a bonus, make Obama look completely ineffectual (which, regardless of the outcome is largely succeeding), and possibly most importantly, burn out the clock on Obama's presidency. And that is it, that is all.

It has become common knowledge that there HAS to be some sort of Debt Ceiling deal. And such Common Knowledge is just complete bullshit. If the Republicans want to have a fight over the fucking budget then Congress holds the purse strings. They own half of Congress. In another year, due to the magic of Democrazy, they'll probably own BOTH fucking Houses. If they are so goddamn serious about the deficit, well, Congress sets the fucking budget. Let them fucking debate it on their own time. Let them win it on their own time. Let them win their concessions on merits of their Arguments, not by scaring the hell out of people by threatening to force the US Government into Default.

Oh, but they aren't really serious about the Deficit, it really should be obvious, but it clearly isn't to half the electorate and nearly all of the goddamned media (despite, ahem, 2001 through 2006 which really wasn't that fucking long ago). But it's late, and that's a whole other thing.

Anyway...