Republicans, Democrats and the main stream media are all thrilled with the new budget deal.  Republicans are pleased because they feared another budget showdown would hurt them politically.  Republicans believe Democrats are poised for a landslide loss in 2014 because of ObamaCare and they don’t want to risk distracting from that.  Democrats are happy because they get to continue spending money and they get to raise taxes.  The main stream media is satisfied because they believe continuation of the status quo is the highest value.

However, the only people who should matter just got shafted.  No one in either party thinks this is a good budget.  They know we are on borrowed time and this budget solves nothing.  The problem was just kicked farther down the road, to be dealt with later, at a much higher cost.  Once again our elected representatives put their own interests ahead of the American people.

Rasmussen just ran a survey about the most influential person in the world.   Ted Cruz came in third, behind the Pope and President Obama.  I believe this is because Ted Cruz has proven that he will fight for what he considered to be important, even when there was no chance of victory.  He stood on his feet for all those hours because he could not let ObamaCare go into force without at least putting up a fight.

Peter O’Toole just died.  I couldn’t help but think back on his career and the theme to the Man of Le Mancha.  This was the movie about Don Quixote.  The words of this song are a good reminder that our heroes should not be those who take the easy road out, but rather those who stand and fight for what matters:

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true 
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Don Quixote was chasing imaginary enemies.  Sometimes this is called “Tilting Toward Windmills.”  But this time the enemies are all too real and there is no virtue in pretending there is no threat.   Sometimes, we do reach the unreachable star, but you can’t possibly do that if you are too afraid to try.  Perhaps someone should explain this to the Republican establishment.

TDM