In another sign of just how incredibly, stupidly dysfunctional Washington is, the FAA is now being held hostage to the demands of  Senate Republicans. The dispute centers on language that has nothing whatever to do with the FAA’s mission; it’s about the desire to weaken another public union. Since the FAA’s taxing authority has been [...]

Enough said.

I’m still trying to get my head around how anyone can support the Republican Party in the upcoming elections. I know they have a big lead in the polls, and I understand that the party in power usually takes it on the chin when the economy is bad, and this economy is REALLY bad. Still, [...]

Once again, I’m perplexed by the inability of the Senate to do what has always been routine–extend unemployment benefits during a recession. I’m equally perplexed by the silence from the White House on the issue–Obama should be out there every day demanding that the benefits be extended, and chiding Republicans and recalcitrant Democrats for their [...]

I’ve been accused of blindly blaming the Republican Party for too many things. But this is one even my most conservative friends agree on. Both parties have always agreed to extend unemployment benefits during recessions. It makes economic sense, and it’s the most humane thing government can do when its citizens are economically stressed. First [...]

Do the Democrats actually stand for anything? Republicans seem to have no problem sticking to their guns on core issues (as deranged as some of them may be). The latest absurdity for the party in power is the new campaign finance reform bill, which, in order to gain the votes of conservative Democrats in the [...]

The first round of primaries confirms that an anti-incumbent fervor, in part a result of the poor economy and inflamed by Tea Party rhetoric, is gripping the electorate. A word of caution here: turnout at primaries tends to be low, and the results don’t always reflect the broader mood of the voters. Rainy weather may [...]

There’s a fascinating dual dramatic comedy being played out in the Senate, as the Party of NO tries desperately to halt financial reform on behalf of their Wall Street pals, while in the hearing room next door Goldman Sachs execs demonstrate why we so desperately need the reform. The most amusing (or tragic) exchange occurred [...]

I heard a funny thing this morning. Republicans said that if the Democrats go ahead and pass health care reform by the process known as “reconciliation,” or, to us laymen, a majority vote, it would make bipartisan cooperation more difficult in the future. This from the party that has made partisan obstructionism its only strategy [...]

Toyota’s reputation for quality has been severely damaged by the latest problems with their cars. After decades of gridlock and the resulting inability to accomplish anything, the reputation of Congress can hardly be damaged further.  At this point, it looks as though the Democrats, who failed utterly to use the power handed to them a [...]