The Capitol has been transformed into a big top

January 7, 2011

The organ-grinder Congress

With the Capitol transformed into a big top, Democrats can't afford to be spectators

By Robert Shrum

The circus that opened this week in Washington is no mere spectacle; it ought to be taken seriously. For as we learned in the summer of death panels, the most far-fetched leaps of fantasy can become a powerful political force when they dominate otherwise sparse news cycles. Indeed they attract attention—and shape perception—precisely because of their outlandish and instantly memorable nature.

Here's how the show will unfold this time—and why Barack Obama and the Democrats have to make sure they rewrite the script.

Until the State of the Union message, the Senate is going home and the Republicans in the House are going to the mattresses—The Godfather’s term for starting a gangland war. (In some cases, they're literally going to the mattresses, since a number of tea-soaked members are enjoying fully subsidized public housing by sleeping in their government offices.) As December was the session of lame ducks, this is the season of elephants performing stunts.

The show kicked off with a droning, center-ring recitation of the entire Constitution as members who felt forced to be present fidgeted on the House floor. (I wonder if those who have defended torture and racial profiling were discomforted hearing the Bill of Rights.)

The reality of a Democratic Senate and a Democratic president won't deter the piece de résistance of the spectacle, the House's scheduled repeal of health reform on Jan. 12. Repeal will never reach Barack Obama's desk for a veto because Senate majority leader Harry Reid—yes, he's still there, thanks to the midterm lunacy of the Tea Party—won't even bring it to a vote.

More at http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/210851/the-organ-grinder-congress
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This circus may be populated by clowns but they are clowns who should be taken seriously. They are deadly serious with the emphasis on "deadly".

Harry

The Show Must Go On.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLE5plL5rTg&feature=related>