Playin' the Deadline Game

Here we are again up against another deadline. The last one, if you and no doubt, your 401ks will remember, was the debacle over increasing the debt limit that happened at the end of 2011. That song and dance number cost the United States its AAA credit rating and sent the market and consequently middle class retirements all to shit. Now, we are faced with doubling the rates of student loans, (which millions of people have and thanks to Bankruptcy reform a few years ago, can now never escape, no matter what the circumstances) along with a highway bill, that if not addressed, will bring infrastructure building and consequently many jobs to a standstill. The right will be hedging their bets on this one. (something they have lots of experience with) Do we push the issue up against the wall hoping for something else to blame on Obama? Or, do we back off and do the right thing and pass both these issues without demanding unrealistic and damaging cuts to programs designed to benefit the poor and the middle class? I suppose the answer to those questions will be whether it will be more damaging to them politically to cease pandering to the wealthy and pass the bills without deep cuts to the poor and the middle class - or - will it be more beneficial to hold tight to the stand that their normal corporate benefactors hold near and dear, paying for programs not with increased taxes on those who are already doing well, but cutting little snips here and there to things that benefit the millions of peons out here who have no money and thus no voice. What the peons do have, however, is a vote, if they will develop the good sense to exercise it in a way that benefits their cause and not the cause of corporations and the fat cats that run them. The jury is out. We will just have to wait and see.