Government reopens; no flying pigs observed.

The government shutdown has ended. 

It would be more accurate  to report that the conditions and attitudes which created the shutdown remain unchanged and the consequences have been kicked down the road for three or four months when we will have a repeat performance.

Unless we have all learned something and the Tea Party denizens have left their bubble of reality and learn their news from other than Fox News exclusively, Senator Ted Cruz actually reads the Constitution and has it explained to him, the Republican Party leaders write off the fringe obstructionists and those latter folks realize that they were elected to govern the government and not solely to dismantle it.

Will this, or any of it, happen?  When pigs fly.  So far I have witnessed nary one pig in the skies.

The Tea Party faction of the Republican Party is not a minor player in Republican politics.  It is the Party and any hope that the lessons of the past several weeks would make the GOP more centrist is just plain silly.  Senator Cruz, according to the polls, has lost favorable ratings nationwide, but among the core of the Right, his popularity has improved.  There is no indication that Speaker Boehner will use his position to advance responsible opposition to the administration rather that allows the shrill whining of the Right to control.

The attitude of our legislators has not changed.  The most offensive images to come out of Washington portray senators and representatives giving each other congratulations and fist bumps to celebrate the end of the shutdown.

Exactly what have our legislators done to warrant such self-congratulations and pride? They finally did their job after messing up enough to close the government, lay off government employees, create havoc in financial affairs, and wound our credibility.  They have nothing of which to be proud.

So, we await the next financial deadline with trepidation.  Nothing has changed and we will endure another and continuing crises until the voters – all of us - come to our senses.

And pigs will be seen overhead,