Finally!

Well people, it looks as if the two major parties put aside their differences enough to get something done for once tonight. If all goes well, the House and Senate will be able to put into effect a measure that will allow our country to avoid default before the August 2nd deadline. This entire process has made me very uncomfortable because of the seemingly endless back and forth from our leaders. Several times in the last few months people on both sides snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and kowtowed to extremists on each end of the spectrum. I know that there is enough blame to go around, and that neither party is completely innocent or completely to blame, but I do see one group as a bit more guilty than the rest- the Tea Party members of the House of Representatives.

These people, most of whom have spent precious little time in office, have come to Washington angry and full of bitter cynicism about how our government functions. It's too bad that they don't know how our government functions. I won't name names, but as I have watched this debt ceiling debacle play out, I have to say that never in my life have I seen a group of people so angry and ignorant at the same time. I know that people are upset about the economy and that the Tea Party has harnessed that anger and turned it into seats in the House and Senate, but anger isn't an agenda, and neither is simply saying no to anything and everything people to the left of you propose. There needs to be something else besides blind, ignorant anger.

I commend some of the older, more seasoned, level headed and capable people in the GOP who have stood up to the new breed of conservative legislators and told them that compromise isn't the end of the world, and that there needs to be substance in their political message. John McCain, John Boehner and others are not on my list of favorite people by any means, but these guys need to continue to put these flash in the pan Tea Partiers in their place because even though they want to make sure Obama loses in 2012, they can't have the debt crisis blood on their hands. I hope so much now that clearer, more pragmatic heads have prevailed that the uber-conservative newbies in the House will see that just being pissed off and saying 'no' doesn't amount to a rat fart when it comes to legislating and being a good public servant. It just breeds more anger, and that's what will get someone else elected in their place in two years.