It's all about money...

There are two outstanding articles in the DT today, one by Peter Oborne and the other by Jeff Randall. Both deal with UK and European money and banking issues and both possess a clarity of writing that I find highly appealing. Which is to say, I can understand the dynamics involved in bailing out Portugal, after Greed and Ireland and quite possibly before Spain. I was also taken by the insights offered into the European Central Bank which in turn inspired questions about the stability of large Western banking institutions. They are not too big to fail, but they may be too costly to save.

What a dilemma.

Debate is intense in Washington over the remaining fiscal year budget while contestants are playing political dodge ball like spoiled children intent on having their way at whatever cost to others. I have dropped out as best I can, but there is hardly a news item or serious conversation around that is not focused on to what extent spending cuts should be imposed.

Meanwhile, and undoubtedly in a move to take some pressure off the Presidency, O announced the inauguration of his re-election campaign this week. Bloody hell, not another one. It is anticipated that O will raise a billion dollars for his 2012 campaign. One highly politicized Fox news pundit commented that money is not the critical factor in winning an election, but rather a candidates public image and, in the case of an incumbent, his ratings, are more important.

Charles Krauthammer, speaking on the same cable news channel set the record straight. Money does win elections and he then proceeded to explain why and how. Pity Charles is not responsible for resolving the debate over this year's budget.

Money does win elections and nobody knows that as well as the Washington elite, including incumbents, lawmakers, lobbyists and big business. We have so many ways of evading, or should I say avoiding, the dictates of our American democracy that only lip service need be paid to this institution.

People are still complaining over the manner in which GW Bush stole the election from Al Gore through vote counting mechanisms in Florida. I believe that incident would have created a much greater public outcry had the public not been so tepid over the prospect of Gore as President. He rather tended to put people to sleep.

Today is what we call a come to Jesus moment. Talk will be inflammatory, viciously ad hominem, and very petty as Republicans and Democrats meet to forge an acceptable compromise before the 12:00 PM deadline for our government to shut down. Feelings are raw in Washington. Politicians have taken to the trenches and dug in their heels as they lob mega lies and distortions at one another from their respective bunkers.

Not only is the public confused, they are also fed up with our leaders and lawmakers. There is also a certain feeling of helplessness as the issues are not so grave as to generate serious civil unrest, but they are hitting our pocketbooks big time and they do engender questions about the need for major reform in government, law and the economy.