Democrats and Republicans in Congress finally compromised Wednesday to end the shutdown of the federal government and to prevent the nation from being pushed into default.
But the battle for the public spotlight is far from over. Unless a special budget committee representing both sides can do what Congress has been unable to do for years and create a spending plan acceptable to all, it will recommence in January, following the three-month extension approved this week by the House and Senate.
So what have American voters learned from all this?
Nothing that many didn’t already know -- that politicians focused more on their personal careers than their country will eventually do what America’s enemies over the centuries have been unable to do on the battlefield, which is bring down the nation, unless something changes.
Together, Democrats and Republicans in Washington have thrown the country deep into debt and together the only solution they’ve come up with is to spend yet more money the nation doesn’t have. Together, Democrats and Republicans have ignored any opportunity to compromise and, consequently, forced the government into a shutdown, proving once again to Americans and to everyone abroad just how ineffective the men and women elected to represent us in Washington really are.
Together, they have shown us that nothing is sacred, that they are willing to shut it all down if one party doesn’t get its way. Together, they have shown federal employees not to consider their jobs with the government stable employment but to expect to be kicked to the curb anytime a political party feels like throwing a temper tantrum.
About the only thing they are doing their best at - their best at together - is to demonstrate to those who already think this that democracy is a weak form of government, that like some old clunker, it will eventually break down and leave its occupants stranded. Americans outside of Washington know better.
The nation deserves better than this. It deserves better than what it has - a group of elected politicians who appear to be willing to undo all the sacrifices that have been made for this country since its birth in 1776, just to secure another term of office.