Teamwork, A Term Misunderstood By Congress

Apparently I lied when I said I was going to skip Congress as a topic. This morning my wife told me how Congress was congratulating themselves on coming up with a deal at the last minute and I was reminded of the six phases of a project.

1. Enthusiasm – We’re going to work together to get this country back on a sound fiscal path. It certainly seemed like something would happen.

Democratic Vice President Joe Biden says Democrats are willing to work with Republicans to come up with a bipartisan solution to the “fiscal cliff’

Republican House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio described the election results as an opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to work together.

2. Disillusionment – It’s not going to happen. Within a week after the elections, we started hearing all the reasons that a deal was not going to be reached. Apparently the first rule of politics is to start early explaining why you won’t succeed.

3. Panic – We will have no budget, taxes will skyrocket, government services will be shut down. I’m not sure we ever left this phase. All this deal does is delay the pain and extend the uncertainty we all feel.

4. Search for the guilty – We came to the table willing to work. The other side just won’t compromise. I think I heard those words on a daily basis from both sides. Both sides were willing to work together and nothing happened? Somebody is manipulating the truth.

5. Punishment of the innocent – We the people. We will have higher taxes and fewer government services. We will have to continue to watch these people continue to refuse to cooperate. Although I can hardly call us completely innocent, we allowed them to be elected.

6. Praise and honor for the nonparticipants – As Congress is now congratulating themselves on coming up with a deal, the reality is we all lost. Congress seems to be more about posturing than actually coming up with a solution.

Congress is now at a 10% approval rating. We’re rapidly losing our status as a world leader. It seems like all Congress can do is squabble among themselves. We need a hero and another Congress.