In my estimation, our processes worked brilliantly with regard to the debt ceiling debate.
It was not pretty but politics is not always easy. As Lyndon Johnson said, you don't want to see laws or sausage get made. Our omnipresent media took away some of the mystery and the back-room dealing and put it in the forefront of everyone's living room. After all, Casey Anthony had run her news cycle, what else were they going to do?
The fact that the process worked is a testament to the American way. No riots, no fisticuffs in the halls of Congress, nothing like what may have taken place anywhere else. Nonetheless, our history is one of vigorous sometimes rancorous debate, and this issue lived up to our history.
Of course, we have undue corporate power influencing policy in a manner which I think is dangerous. However, I think (hope) there will be some reform in this regard.
I am not an adherent to the Tea Party's policies. However, anyone who watched the process should be convinced that without its pushing, there would have been a simple raising of the ceiling without a care in the world. For that, the Tea Partiers need to be congratulated. The Tea Party serves a very good and useful function as a counterweight to corporate power, though I would not like to see it actually take the reins of government. In this case, it served a very useful function even if it did not get exactly what it wanted.
We are seeing IMO a sea change in our politics. Debt and revenue will from now on be on the forefront of every legislator's agenda. It is a small step, but a significant one.
Winston Churchill said that Americans always do the right thing after they've exhausted everything else. This is a fine example of his wisdom. |
