PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

The Republicans and the tea party Republicans dodged a bullet Friday night. It was from a gun that they had pointed at their own heads. Wow, sure glad they ducked in time.

Had the shutdown occurred, while everyone would have lost something, the Democrats would have seen their fortunes rise by double digits and Obama's plans for reelection would have soared. Most of the time, Americans would have a hard time finding something they care less about than Congress and whatever it is messing with at the moment. If the shutdown had moved forward, all of that would have changed. The public would have seen in very stark relief the true goals of the tea pot Congress and its Republican majority and they would not have liked what they saw.

We now know what the tea party Republicans and the far right Republicans are actually intent on doing. The bald extortion attempt of this week was an effort to get by brinkmanship what they have been unable to win by votes over the last thirty or more years. As for the future, the program outlined by Con. Paul Ryan this week, mislabeled as budget cuts, had much broader goals. The tea party Republicans want to strip the Federal government down to a nub and cut more taxes for the well off and the wealthy. They would move the government deeper into debt. Then, to top it off, Ryan revealed a plan to have any future tax increases require a 2/3s majority vote in Congress. What would that mean? Minority rule. Congress would be permanently gridlocked and democracy would be frustrated and defeated.

Nonetheless, the Republicans have won a major victory. Instead of spending to stimulate the economy and keep the recovery going, they have won 40 billion in cuts, which might help stall the economy and defeat Obama. Steady progress has been made out of the recession of late, with unemployment dropping to 8.8 per cent. That seems to have had Republicans concerned.

As another Republican victory token, they have Obama, and Washington, more or less dancing to their tune. On top of that, Speaker Boehner emerges as a guy who can actually get something done, both for his far right new members of Congress and for the concept of minor compromise (I am not really sure where the Republicans compromised, however). Had the shutdown moved forward, Boehner would have been wise to consider resigning. As it is, he is newly confirmed as a power player, ready for the next game. Watch for him on all the Face the Nation type shows this Sunday.

What did the president get? He didn't have to go on national television and announce the humiliation of our government and its workers. Maybe that will be enough. He has portrayed himself, in the eyes of the public, as a guy who can get things done and work something out. Let's see if he gets any real credit for that effort.

Doug Terry

4.9.11

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