The NFL lockout appears to be almost over. That's good news. While I've become a bigger fan of college football than the NFL in recent years, I can't imagine a September Sunday without NFL games on TV. It's nice to see parties on opposite side of an argument actually get something done.
Unfortunately, the news out of Washington on the political front isn't as good. The process continues to be held hostage by the fringe members of both parties. You've got the kooks on the right who view any attempt at closing a tax loophole as a tax increase. And, you've got the kooks on the left who think that any modification to Social Security benefits is a cut to an entitlement. Everyone in the middle is stuck trying to placate these jokers. All of us are forced to watch. Of course, we're the ones who sent these people to Washington in the first place.
I have one wish for this debt ceiling discussion. It would be so awesome if every single elected member of Congress lost their seat in the next election. I'm so tired of the inability of elected officials to really get anything done. Send them all home, already! Don't even let them make it through the primaries.
Don't kid yourself that your representative is "different." Ask yourself -- when was the last time your representative changed his or her mind on an issue? Remember, it's not a sign of weakness to change your mind! Don't vote for people who can't show you that they can be persuaded by someone else's argument. Life is all about having experiences, learning from those experiences, and becoming better because of those experiences. Sometimes, becoming better means changing your mind and accepting someone else's point-of-view. Try it -- you might actually enjoy it.