Our world seems to have endless shiny objects that distract us.

[No Elephants]

In the end, our system is broken and not one politician has put forward a serious proposal for breaking gridlock or fixing any of the other fundamental issues.

As for gridlock alone, in 1992, Clinton, our first official "third way" President, was going to fix things. He filled his cabinet with Republicans and third way Democrats and even hired the Dick Morris turd to advise him on how he (Clinton) might make himself more acceptable to Republicans. Woohoo!

We got DOMA, NAFTA, bragging from Democrats about having "ended welfare as we know it," DADT legislation (making it politically harder to simply replace Reagan's Executive Order on gays in the military), etc.

Far from least, we also got repeal of Glass Steagall. Repeal, in turn, enabled the banks to bring about the collapse of 2008 and our present national and global economy. As Greenspand said, who could possibly have foreseen that the market would not correct for limitless greed? Certainly not Greenspan or the very brilliant Clinton!

Oh, and for all his third way trouble and all his Republican policies, Clinton got impeached.

In between all that, however, he did get re-elected and left office very popular, so we thought "we" won. (Don't spend all those winnings in one place, now, k?) Now Clinton is a Romney level multi-millionaire who got lots of donations for his Presidential library to boot. The people who voted for him, though?

In 2000, Bush claimed he was the chosen one to make progress because he was a "uniter not a divider." Allegedly, Bummya had even had some state success in that area, having worked well (allegedly) with the Democrats in the Texas legislature while Governor.

In 2008, Obama, the Democratic candidate, claimed he was "THE One, people," who could do it. And, allegedly, he, too, had had some state success in that area, having allegedly brokered deals behind the scenes more than the average Illinois state legislator (whatever that means). (He also promised to put negotiations on C-Span, though, so I am not sure how he planned to do both.)

Anyhooo.....guess what?

Twenty years and three allegedly bi-partisan deal-brokering Presidents later, we are further up the gridlock creek than we were in 1992, except that both parties have become impeachment shy (which is further to our detriment, IMO).

And, Republicans seem even more unhappy than are Democrats. So, almost 100% of the country is unhappy.

So, that means politicians have to come up with a plan to end gridlock, right? Like, oh, I don't know, ending the Senate sixty vote rule, which the Framers don't seem to have contemplated?

Well, no, they don't have to because we continue to support the status quo, financially, politically and emotionally, and therefore ensuring that it will only continue or, more likely, get worse. (And no, a "sequester" of highly dubious Constitutionality was not the way, any more than empty, saber rattling rhetoric about the nuclear option is that way.)

Part of me says we can't do anything about it. It is now too entrenched and protected. Protected, because both Parties are equally able to hide behind it when in the majority and to use it to wield power, even when they are not in the majority.

Meaning, Sen. Graham to the contrary, that elections have fewer and fewer real consequences. Also that less and less gets done. Which is how they like it because they believe incumbents lose elections because of the bills they pass, never the bills that did not get passed.

The other part of me says we have to do something about it because we owe at least that to our kids and future generations, if only to pay forward the incredible sacrifices of the "Great" Depression and WWII alone.

Do we have the will, though?

OMG! Look!

Lovey is wearing a relatively inexpensive wide belt similar to the one that Michelle wore not too long ago.

And, OMG, a couple of days later, Michelle wore a six thousand dollar jacket that she either bought with her family's own money or got as a gift.

Wow. It's almost like we're in some kind of sartorial FLOTUS bizarro world! This HUGH!!111!!!

I really have to find out what MSNBC, FOX, CNN and the major networks will do with this gobsmacking sartorial paradox. And keep doing with it between now and whenever the next shiny thing comes along.

I expect some pret-ty funny lines. Also some zingers designed to get me pret-ty riled up about this international wardrobe malfunction. (Janet Jackson's right nipple, eat your heart out,, right fucking now!)

And then Stewart and Colbert will get their hands on this and then I can really alternate between laughter and helpless anger. Oh, I just can't wait for those two brilliant minds to pretend to care! And, soon, another shiny subject will come along and everyone can start the cycle again. .

God, help me, but I so love politics and political reporting and analysis! Not to mention being manipulated by just about everybody!

Quick! Anyone know what color the belt was? Or exactly how wide it was? Or if it was similar to Michele's in any ways beside width?

Oh, never mind. I just heard Olympic athletes has to (GASP) pay income taxes on income, just like the President, members of Congress, members of the military and everyone else in the country.

What belt?

Bye!