I knew there had to be some reason for this. Just another one of those Other People's Messes the prez is always having to mop up. It really sucks when you have to mop up the Messes of Other People on your own team. For it seems that Both Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, in addition to their corruption Alzheimer's and gaffe Tourette's, are sadly afflicted with some sort of mathematical dyslexia as well. More to be pitied than censured, but it produces unfortunate results.

Madame Speaker now says she has the votes to ram through a government-managed plan. She bases this on "a tough count", so she knows it's solid. She has to specify that because, having predicted in July that she had the votes all lined up, the press is somewhat skeptical of her vote-counting skills. Alas, she is contradicted in her latest prediction today by her own Whip, James Clyburn, who says they're not quite there yet, but he (of course!) feels confident they'll get there eventually.

On the other side of the dome, Harry Reid was faced with the thorny issue of how to make the health care bill deficit neutral without cutting payments to doctors. So he came up with the brilliant idea of moving the doctor payments (some $250 Billion) into a separate bill, so as not to make the main bill look like a budget buster. Surely, nobody would ever detect such a cunning subterfuge. Reid was confident he could get 60 votes to pass this separate bill.

He came really close to 60. He got 47. Which was only 13 short, so nearly broke the filibuster. 13 Dems went the other way, and he couldn't even get a basic majority. Naturally, he blamed the Republicans. Oh, and the doctors, too, for being less effective at vote-rustling than at tonsil profiteering.

Somewhere, a Sesame Street puppet is weeping softly. Where did I fail them?

Not your fault, Count. Nothing you could've done. It's a medical condition.

Can you specify a particular date or year?

Can you account for the missing years, or was your concern for deficits as AWOL as Bush's Guard career?

You'll see. I started caring big time about the deficit at about the time it became an existential threat to our country. Like, in February.

Obama ran us off a cliff during his first month in office. It's tough to recover from being run off a cliff. A ditch, maybe, but not a cliff.

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On the other hand, there's Reality.

LONGER than WWII.

How you're not embarrassed by the ridiculous nonsense you endlessly spew here is one of the fray's great mysteries (though simple dishonesty resolves it fine).

Oh, have you heard? Tax Cuts Increase Revenues!!!!

While I think pelosi and reid have done a rather very poor job in their positions, to blame Obama for the condition of the country after 14 years of rigid GOP congressional rule and 8 years of GWB ran our nation directly into the financial sewer is dishonest at best.

During Bush's last two years he vetoed every Democratic initiative proposed. While the GOP held congress, Bush issued exactly zero vetoes, therefore the condition of this nation is 99.1% the fault of your best friends. With friends like that, it is amazing you are trying to create enemies.

Sorry, can't cure that for you.

So, of course you can. I just did. You should pay attention.

Oh, and comparing Iraq to Grenada is, duh, comparing Iraq to Grenada. Again, of course you can!

You seem confused re: the meaning of "compare". Perhaps you should look it up.

of this critique coming from one who clings to the long- and thoroughly-discredited wingnut dogma that Tax Cuts Increase Revenues.

suffices? Seems to demand past tense, e.g., "became quite clear long ago".