OPINION:
In the final days of 2012, with Congress facing the proverbial choice between a rock and a hard place and not able to agree on either one, the “hope and change” mantra became “something’s gotta give” (“Boehner splits with GOP on ’fiscal cliff’ vote,” Web, Tuesday). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, blamed any chance of an agreement on the fiscal cliff talks on U.S. House Speaker John A. Boehner.
A Google search for “fiscal cliff” last week brought up 984 million results in 0.19 seconds. The top story: “Reid: ’Fiscal cliff’ failure likely due to Boehner’s House ’dictatorship.’” Millions of others were talking about it. Too bad our elected officials weren’t. Despite the rare Christmas-week session, Mr. Reid said there was not enough time to get the deal done before Tuesday. Most employees wouldn’t have had a chance to leave early for the holidays without getting their work done, he said, especially work that would change the nation.
Anyone who regularly listened to my late husband’s radio program, “The Ron Smith Show,” would know that this was simply business as usual. The Democrats still hold the keys to any compromise, but the Republicans will be blamed for the consequences. To quote a line President Obama used in another context, “This … would be really interesting if we weren’t in the middle of it.”
JUNE SMITH
Shrewsbury, Pa.
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